CARICOM offering support to Haitian police, humanitarian aid
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has decided they will offer assistance to the lawless and violence-torn Haiti by donating support to the Haitian National Police (HNP).
CARICOM said in a media statement yesterday that the focus of the Community will be to provide training for the HNP and to provide humanitarian assistance to HNP and the wider Haitian society, taking into account the challenging humanitarian and security situation of the French creole-speaking nation.
“In acknowledgement of the common historical experiences and the strong African-Caribbean relationship, heads of government also agreed to seek support from African countries for Haiti,” CARICOM stated.
“They also agreed to work with the governments of Canada and the United States as well as the UNDP on the ongoing issues and, at the upcoming Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to approach both International Financial Institutions to ascertain what further assistance they could provide to Haiti,” it added.
These decisions were made when CARICOM heads of government with responsibility for Haiti met on Sunday, March 5 under the chairmanship of the Bahamian Prime Minister and Chair of CARICOM, Philip Davis.
They received a report from the Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who led a one-day CARICOM Special Mission to Haiti on February 27. The mission met with a broad range of Haitian stakeholders to hear their views on the way forward.
Back in the Virgin Islands, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has said the deteriorating situation in Haiti is very important for the BVI. He noted that the territory “continues to see a steady stream of Haitians fleeing their country and arriving on our shores through human trafficking or drifting ashore by boat or raft”.
He said the territory’s law enforcement agencies, security personnel, and other public officers are doing their best to appropriately respond to these arrivals, “including asylum cases and repatriations”.
It is not clear what the BVI’s role will be in CARICOM’s response to the Haitian crisis. The country has plunged into deep lawlessness because of a recent upsurge in gang violence socio-political turmoil.
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but hey they have had independence for over 200 years, how is that going for them and leave the comments about the french taking everything, again that was more than 200 years ago…
Mr. Premier it is good to demonstrate humanitarian effort on behalf of the Territory. BUT! This Territory is only so big. We can’t be giving asylum, housing, healthcare, food and work to these folks when We cannot even provide sustainability to Our Own Locals living here. Cost of Living to high, high rent, high electricity bills, high food bills, expensive books and supplies for schools and don’t talk about low wages and non Government Increments. So where you going to talk about Asylum and harbouring Refugees and Illegal Immigrants. As far as I am concern, the Territory needs to put a CAP on people immigrating to live and work. People going vex, but darn it, Virgin Islanders are out numbered.
A country at a Centuries old war with itself.
Nothing that could be done to end domestic strife has been left undone.
We are outnumbered nynthe poverty a n d the criminality we imported from the self destructive countries.
Building your vountry with those that have and can invest or live without hand outs is a no brainer,
The BVI built its country with liabilities…people with nothing to give but degradation wanting and taking and duplicating their plight with frequent unfortunate births.
We are outnumbered by the poverty and the criminality we imported from the self destructive,self Governing and self determining to remain as unfortunately is neighboring countries.. Building your country with those that have and can invest or live without handouts is a no brainer,
The BVI built its country with liabilities…people with nothing to give but degradation wanting and taking and duplicating their plight with frequent unfortunate births.