Speech by Commissioner Lahbib on Haiti during the UN General Assembly

In Haiti today, childhood is being stolen.

Children are being recruited by gangs. Families are trapped behind walls of violence. Humanitarian workers risk their lives to reach people in need.

But Haiti is not alone. Europe stands with the Haitian people, with one goal: to help Haitians take back their future.

Since 1994, the European Union has provided close to €600 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti, making it the largest recipient of EU humanitarian assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year alone, our support amounts to €23 million.

Our support helps survivors of gender-based violence. It keeps humanitarian flights moving, bringing vital supplies to hard-to-reach communities. We are also contributing to security, with €10 million in support for the Haitian National Police and the Gang Suppression Force.

Allow me to briefly focus on three things. First, security and human rights must go hand in hand. Humanitarian organisations must be able to reach communities safely. Aid workers must be protected, and the line between security operations and humanitarian action must remain clear

Second, children recruited by gangs are not targets. They are victims. In just the past year, three times as many children have been pulled into gangs. They need protection. They need a way out of violence and back into school. We must give them back their future.

That is why our humanitarian support is already funding education projects. In a crisis, a classroom is more than a place to learn. It is a place of safety and hope.

Third, Haiti needs more than a security response. Security is essential, but it must be matched by more humanitarian support that saves lives today and development that gives people hope for tomorrow.