Helen La Lime warned Thursday that Haiti’s police force needs immediate help to fight crime and violence, noting that gangs have grown so powerful they recently seized control of a local courthouse.
The top U.N. official said insecurity is rapidly deteriorating in the country of more than 11 million people, with an average of almost seven kidnappings reported every day.
In May alone, she said more than 200 killings and 198 abductions were reported.
Those kidnappings included two busloads of children and three U.N. personnel and their dependents, with one local staff member killed in a crossfire between gangs, according to a U.N. Security Council report.