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Appointment of UN Refugee Agency Staff to Haiti Vital First Step; International Community Must do Mo

New York, NY

The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children applauds the UN refugee agency’s appointment of a staff member to monitor conditions in Haiti prior to and during the presidential elections. This is an important step towards increasing protection for women and children refugees in the region.

Most experts believe that the Haitian election, which will be held early this year, will cause an increase in politically motivated persecution and killings. This violence would be particularly threatening to women and children already at risk.

“Currently, no source of information on the conditions in Haiti exists that is universally accepted as credible,” says Joanne Kelsey, director, detention and asylum. “First-hand information from a respected international organization such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would be taken seriously by governments in the region.” According to Kelsey, such information could encourage these governments, including the United States, to re-examine their policies towards Haitians and create practicable solutions for Haitian refugees.

The United States State Department has declared that “there are no safe areas in Haiti,” yet, the U.S. government continues to return Haitians who come to this country. Other governments in the Caribbean region have also continued returns, raising concerns that they either do not feel compelled to respect international refugee law or do not believe that among those fleeing the tiny island are legitimate refugees. Credible information provided by a UNHCR staff person on the ground could help change this situation.

“UNHCR’s commitment of a staff member to Haiti is a vital first step in a much-needed international response,” Kelsey says. “Governments in the region must step in to create contingency plans to respond to this potential Haitian refugee crisis. Such a response can be informed by the credible information now available through UNHCR’s Haiti staff.”