Canada injects millions in humanitarian support to Haiti, tackling Caribbean’s climate crisis

…as Caricom recommits to resolving Haiti crisis, condemns Suriname unrest

In a move to further strengthen its relations with the Caribbean, the Canadian Government has announced millions of dollars in support to the Caribbean Community (Caricom), to continue assistance to Haiti amidst the ongoing crisis while also strengthening ties with the region, especially in its fight against climate change.
Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, a special guest at the 44th Caricom Summit held in Nassau, The Bahamas, on Thursday, outlined a series of interventions to help address the political, security, and humanitarian crises in Haiti.
In his address to the summit, PM Trudeau announced $10 million in new funding to protect Haitian women and children along the Haiti-Dominican Republic border.
He also announced that Canada plans to deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels to conduct surveillance, gather intelligence, and maintain a maritime presence off the Haitian coast in the coming weeks.
According to the Canadian PM, this assistance comes as “Canada continues to reinforce the capacities of the Haitian Police to overpower armed gangs and hold those who support them accountable.”
“The toll of human suffering in Haiti weighs heavily on me,” he told the Conference, as he added that the situation in Haiti hits not only in the Region, but also in Canada, where there is a large Haitian diaspora.
Further, PM Trudeau told Caricom Heads that Canada’s “fundamental objective” in supporting Haiti was to ease the suffering and empower the people to chart their own future.
“Now is the moment to come together to confront the severity of this situation,” he said as he urged solutions that would restore order and security, allow essential aid to flow to those in urgent need of it, and create the conditions for free and fair elections.
The Canadian Prime Minister also informed that he had a “constructive conversation” with interim Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, as Canada continued to support Haiti to address the political, security and humanitarian crises. In that vein, he disclosed that Canada has deployed a surveillance aircraft and vital strategic security equipment and vehicles to assist the Haitian National Police with tools and support to solve the security situation.
Over the coming days, the North American nation will also deliver Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, the Prime Minister indicated.
Additionally, he announced a sixth round of autonomous sanctions against two more individuals, in addition to 15 others Canada had sanctioned for using their “influence and resources to support criminal gangs and fuel instability in Haiti.”
While also in Nassau, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $44.8 million in new initiatives to help support Caricom in addressing the climate crisis by protecting more biodiversity and improving climate resilience and disaster preparedness. He said Canada will continue to advocate for small island and low-lying states in the Caribbean, who are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change like rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
The Prime Minister also announced $1.8 million in new initiatives to help tackle escalating regional security challenges, including by targeting illicit drugs, the opioid crisis, irregular migration, and strengthening border and maritime security.

Haiti crisis
Meanwhile, during a press conference on Friday evening, Caricom Chairman, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Philip Davis, also recommitted Caricom’s moral obligation to assist in the resolution of the Haiti crisis. He said Caricom’s focus is on strengthening the Haitian National Police to enable them to restore order and to curb the criminal activities in the country.
Additionally, a meeting is slated to take place “in the very shortest possible time” with stakeholders in Haiti, Caricom representatives, and possibly an international partner to discuss how to strengthen the Haitian Policing body.
“We are of the view that we have to create the space in which peace…can be obtained to enable the free movement of people without fear, to enable them to move to the next stage of expressing a will, or a new election to be held in a fair and transplant [manner]…,” he stated.

Condemn unrest in Suriname
On the other hand, there was a condemnation of protest actions in Suriname which escalated into a storming of the country’s Parliament Building, damage to properties, and looting of businesses.
Surinamese started to protest on Friday against the high cost of living and rising fuel prices in the region.
But according to Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, while citizens have a right to protest, the actions displayed on Friday in Paramaribo cannot be condoned.
“We will stand in solidarity and recognizing the democratically-elected Government led by President [Candrikapersad] Santokhi. And we do hope that all actors can respect the rule of law and respect people’s right to move freely; and we certainly condemn the storming of the Parliament. It appears that this is becoming a practice in our hemisphere, and it is something that we all need to seek to condemn and to stamp out in our hemisphere. We call for calm and a restoration of peace and order, and allow for dialogue to take place. [The] issues among the Surinamese people can be addressed in a respectful, lawful manner,” PM Skerrit stated.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, who called the developments in Suriname “most unfortunate”.
“People can express their views, but there is no excuse for violence in any manner, form or fashion. And to the extent that persons have been injured, and to the extent that property has been damaged, the ultimate loss is also to the stability of the country. And I think Prime Minister Skerritt’s called for peace to reign and for stability to come [and] calm to be there is what all of us must do now, because it is unacceptable for anybody to be putting people’s lives at risk,” PM Mottley contended. (G8)