The United Nations human rights chief warned that the situation in Haiti has gotten beyond untenable as gang-related deaths skyrocket.
Last week, in the presence of President William Ruto and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the government agreed to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti.
“I am pleased to inform you that Prime Minister Ariel Henri and I have witnessed the signing of this instrument. We have also discussed the next steps to enable the fast-tracking of the deployment,” Ruto said.
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Volker Turk urged for the immediate deployment of an international security support mission to the Caribbean country, citing the death toll from gang violence, which has also injured 692 others, as "staggering".
"The reality is that, in the current context, there is no realistic alternative available to protect lives," he said in a statement, calling for quick action "to prevent Haiti's further descent into chaos."
His remarks came as the UN Security Council prepared to host an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Haiti, where gangs are threatening a violent civil war unless Prime Minister Ariel Henry steps down.
The armed factions that control large sections of the country started a coordinated campaign to depose Henry last Thursday, with Port-au-Prince's airport, prisons, police stations, and other essential locations being attacked since.
Jimmy Cherizier, an influential gang leader, warned Tuesday that the current disarray will lead to civil war and "genocide" unless the prime minister resigns.
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Turk cited last weekend's colossal jail breakout, which Haitian officials regarded as a deadly threat to national security.
More than 4,500 inmates, including senior gang members, have now fled, he claimed.
"This situation is beyond untenable for the people of Haiti," he stated.
He offered a bleak image of a country where the "health system is on the verge of collapse," and "hospitals frequently lack the capacity to treat those arriving with gunshot wounds."
