The United States and Canada on Saturday sent armored vehicles and other supplies to Haiti to help police battle a powerful gang, as the Haitian government calls for the immediate deployment of foreign troops.
A statement from the US State Department said the equipment was purchased by the Haitian government, but it did not give further details of the supplies flown by military aircraft to the capital of Port-au-Prince. This is a joint operation involving the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
“Canadian and American military aircraft are delivering equipment and supplies—purchased by the Haitian government—to the Haitian National Police. This material will help police in their fight against criminal gangs and help improve security,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter.
The U.S. State Department issued a similar statement that the equipment will assist the Haitian National Police “in its fight against criminal actors who foment violence and disrupt the flow of much-needed humanitarian assistance, hampering efforts to halt the spread of cholera”.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said there were more than 560 suspected cases of cholera, some 300 hospitalizations and at least 35 deaths. Experts warning that the numbers are likely much higher than reported.
The equipment arrived more than a month after one of Haiti’s most powerful gangs surrounded a fuel terminal and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Demonstrators also blocked roads in major cities to protest the sharp rise in fuel prices after Mr Henry announced in early September that his administration could no longer afford to subsidize fuel.
Since then, gas stations have closed, hospitals have reduced services, and banks and grocery stores have opened on a limited basis as supplies of fuel, water, and other resources dwindle across Haiti.
Owners of the fuel terminal announced on Saturday that gunmen attacked their facility for the second time and made off with more than 28,000 gallons of petroleum products after overpowering the facility’s surveillance and emergency personnel.
It was the second time this week that gunmen broke into the terminal, which stores more than 10 million gallons of gasoline and diesel and more than 800,000 gallons of jet fuel.