Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy, Dr. Vince Henderson believes that more needs to be done for Haiti. He made that remark during the 27th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) held at the State House Conference Center from Thursday, May 23 to Friday 24, May 2024.
Haiti currently faces a longstanding crisis exacerbated by escalating gang violence since February 29, 2024, including clashes with police in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. According to recent reports from worldvision.org, waves of violence have displaced over 15,000 people in a matter of a week and thousands are seeking refuge with relatives and friends, with gangs now targeting residential areas.
“We also have to struggle with the situation in Haiti and we need to again call on our partners to more resolutely respond to the crisis in Haiti,” he urged. “We have seen over the years that CARICOM has played a very important role and I want to recognize the leadership of Jamaica in that process, the Bahamas for the role that you have played and continue to play by bringing together the international support for Haiti, but we must with one united voice send a strong message that more needs to be done for Haiti.”
Dr. Henderson continued, “We must not be shy to make comparisons as I believe they are only fair that while some countries could approve billions of dollars for other causes they have failed to show up in any serious way to provide support to resolve the situation in Haiti.”
According to him, Dominica will soon be issuing a statement applauding the actions taken by Norway, Spain and Ireland to recognize the Palestinian states.
“Dominica, in 2018, recognized the Palestinian states and we continue to support a two-state solution as we believe this is the only path to a permanent solution to the dispute between Israel and Palestine,” he stated.
Henderson asserted that Dominica condemns the action of Hamas.
“We believe the attacks of October 7 were acts of terrorism, but we also are concerned about the ongoing onslaughts on not only Gaza, but in the entire state of Palestine, and we are hoping while all of us have supported the recent United Nations resolution in support of Palestine, we are hoping that more of us can stand firm and make our voices heard, as we too as people who have a history of colonization and enslavement, we too should stand strong resolutely with our brothers and sisters in Palestine,” he remarked.
He said Dominica is making the statement and hopes that other CARICOM nations will stand firm and make their voices be heard.
“We are not in any way seeking to issue a statement on behalf of COFCOR, at least not yet,” Dr. Henderson stated.
CARICOM nations will stand firm and make voices heatd AFTER YOU ALL ARE NO LONGER CHAIR? Who are you to trt ro boss people around. Not one thing you all did JUST HOT NOTHING AIR.
ALICK YOU CANNIT WIN ELECTIONS WITH THIS? BUSINESS AND YOU DONT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE – Too bad you dropped the ball.
You too late Vince, they’re being invaded by… wink wink – to make it look like it’s Kenya, in exchange for a infrastructure deal over yonda – ironically.
The only people who can save Haiti is the people themselves external forces are just a temporary bandage on an internal wound. Until they rise up and destroy those gangs Haiti will always have problems…