Haiti has asked for foreign military support to curb its gang violence crisis which has paralysed the country.

Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, has been authorised to request armed help due to “the risk of a major humanitarian crisis”.

Civil unrest escalated since Mr Henry announced an end to government fuel subsidies on September 11, which sent petrol and diesel prices skyrocketing.

Since then, protests and looting have intensified. A group of powerful gangs have also blocked the country’s main fuel terminal, crippling its basic supplies like water and food.

However, it is not clear to whom the request for intervention has been sent to, and in what form the help would be given, as the United Nations (UN) said it has not received any formal request from the Haitian government.

The UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric said, “We remain extremely concerned about the security situation in Haiti, the impact its having on the Haitian people, on our ability to do our work, especially in the humanitarian sphere.”

Meanwhile, the United States’ government has urged its citizens in Haiti to leave due to the insecurity.

According to a statement by the State Department’s Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, the US is also considering a request for a humanitarian corridor to restore fuel distribution within Haiti.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and has suffered a number of recent crises, most notably the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021 and a massive earthquake that left more than 2,200 people dead just a month later.

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