Nine member countries of the UN Security Council, led by Brazil, denounced Thursday, July 21 in a joint statement the violence against women in Haiti, a state plagued by violence, and called for international action to protect them.
There are “
alarming reports of rape and sexual slavery
” in gang-controlled neighborhoods of the capital Port-au-Prince, Brazilian Vice-President Hamilton Mourao told the UN, accompanied by representatives of Ireland, Norway, France, United Kingdom, Mexico, Kenya, Albania and United Arab Emirates.
“Urgent global action”
“
These are crimes against women and girls of all ages, as well as against men and boys
,” he added as he read the joint statement from the nine countries.
Recognizing that it is "
difficult to assess the real dimensions of the problem
", the Brazilian official called for "
urgent global action by the international community
" to combat this violence.
Read alsoHaiti: horror scenes in Cité-Soleil
Last week, the UN Security Council renewed the mandate of its political mission in Haiti for one year.
He then asked the Member States of the Organization to prohibit the transfer of light weapons to gangs operating in Haiti, without going so far as to decide on an embargo, as China had insisted upon during the negotiations conducted by the United States with Mexico.
