Germany to Support UN Mission in Haiti With Air Transport
The Bundeswehr says it will provide airlift capacity to help move equipment for the UN-backed security mission against armed gangs.
Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, will support the UN mission in Haiti by providing air transport capacity, the German Defence Ministry announced Saturday in Berlin, according to unternehmen-heute.de. The ministry said German forces would make airlift capacity available 'at short notice' to help move equipment and material, with the transport operation expected to take place 'in the coming weeks.' Berlin described the step as demonstrating that Germany is a 'reliable partner in United Nations peace operations' and said it would contribute to 'the rapid stabilization of the security situation' during a decisive phase of the mission's buildup. According to the report, the airlift would assist countries providing troops for the UN effort, including Kenya, Chad, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Guatemala and Ivory Coast. The UN Support Mission for Haiti (UNSOH) and the more robust Gang Suppression Force (GSF) were mandated last year by the UN Security Council on a US initiative to combat criminal gangs controlling large parts of the country. The report notes Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, with roughly 1.5 million people displaced by violence and nearly half of its 11 million residents facing food insecurity. The account is based on a single source and remains developing.