With the authorization of the government, Haitian acting President and Prime Minister Ariel Henry has requested for foreign military support to combat escalating gang violence and civil unrest which has lead to "the risk of a major humanitarian crisis". While it is unclear which nation or nations the request was targeted to and in what form of assistance Haiti was attempting to appeal for, the United Nations states that so far, it has not received an official request from the Haitian government. 

Since the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise in July of 2021 and a powerful earthquake that left over 2,200 dead just a month later, gang violence and deaths due to gang activity in the nation has escalated. On September 11th, 2022, acting President and Prime Minister Henry announced the end of government fuel subsidies, resulting in fuel (Gasoline, diesel, and kerosene) prices increasing dramatically (Local reports suggest that prices of gasoline in some areas more than doubled) and intensification of protests and looting. Protestors told media outlets that amid roughly 30% inflation and the crippled supply of basic necessities like food, medicine, and water, the increasing fuel costs makes not only transportation much more difficult but also cooking and energy production. Days ago, the Haitian government also announced that 8 people died of cholera, a disease usually associated with unclean drinking water, marking the first fatalities in 3 years.

Many Haitians are currently also demanding Ariel Henry to resign from his position. Since serving in an interim capacity following the assassination of President Moise, Mr. Henry dismissed the electoral administration and indefinitely delayed an election previously scheduled for November 2021.

Local media reports say that since September, the Varreux Fuel Terminal in the capital city of Port-au-Prince has been blockaded and under the control of a coalition of powerful gang. As imported supplies dwindle, some hospitals, businesses, and transportation services have either reduced or entirely shut down operations. According to United Nations envoy to Haiti, it is estimated that roughly 5 million United States dollars worth of food aid has been lost in repeated attacks. 

According to some Haitians interviewed by media outlets, they do not want to see United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in the nation due to distrust. In 2014, UN peacekeepers were deployed to the nation to stabilize government institutions. However, the mission ended in 2017 after allegations of sexual abuse and a sewage leak from a peacekeeping base that was connected to a 2010 cholera outbreak that killed nearly 10,000 people. 

Note: All images used in this article were retrieved from the public domain, and do not require attribution or citation for commercial purposes. The last image depicts a Brazilian UN Peacekeeper in Port-au-Prince in 2010.