Government of Haiti asks for international military aid in the face of crisis

Has the international community abandoned Haiti? 1:30 (CNN) — The Haitian government has requested international military assistance to deal with a series of concurrent health, energy and security crises, according to a statement from Jean-Junior Joseph, an adviser to the Haitian prime minister.
People with symptoms of cholera photographed on October 7. Credit: Odelyn Joseph/AP “After serious reflection, in the face of a serious humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where hospitals do not have enough energy to function, cholera is once again within the neighborhoods, it was decided at the Council of Ministers last night , October 7, request military assistance from the international community to deal with such an incredible humanitarian crisis,” said the statement sent to CNN on Thursday. It was not clear from which countries the government requested military assistance. The request came after Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for international help during a televised address to the nation on Wednesday night. “I ask the international community to help us, to support us in whatever way is necessary to prevent the situation from getting worse. We need to be able to distribute water and medicine, as cholera is making a comeback,” said Henry. An ambulance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 4. Credit: Ralph Tedy Erol / Reuters “We need to reopen businesses and clear roads so doctors and nurses can work. We ask for your help to get fuel distributed and schools to reopen,” he added. Dozens more cases of cholera have been diagnosed in Haiti, adding new urgency to warnings about the Caribbean country’s descent into chaos amid political and economic crisis. Protesters in the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on October 3. Credit: Richard Pierrin/AFP/Getty Images The deadly infection has already claimed the lives of eight people, according to the Haitian Ministry of Health, and 68 new cases have been identified in the first week of October, according to the humanitarian medical group Doctors Without Borders (MSF). This new public health emergency couldn’t come at a worse time. The anti-government protests, now in their seventh week, have brought the country to a standstill, with schools, businesses and public transportation mostly closed. Since August 22, Haitians have been demonstrating against chronic gang violence, poverty, food insecurity, inflation and fuel shortages. Public anger was further fueled last month when Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced that he would cut fuel subsidies to finance the government, a move that would double prices at petrol stations. Haiti’s powerful gangs have exacerbated the fuel crisis by blockading the country’s main port in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Thousands of Haitians continue to protest in several cities in the country, demanding the resignation of the government. CNN reporter witnesses Haitian gang violence 5:43