The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) is set to resume its limited operations in Haiti this Wednesday, following a waiver granted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The resumption comes after a temporary ban on U.S.-registered aircraft flying in Haitian airspace due to recent violent incidents.
Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, announced on Monday that the FAA has authorized the World Food Programme’s (WFP) UNHAS to operate its U.S.-registered helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft in Haiti.
“The plane isn’t very big and the helicopter isn’t a huge helicopter,” Dujarric said. “So it moves some humanitarian goods, but mostly people.”
The FAA had imposed a 30-day ban on U.S.-registered aircraft flying in Haiti’s airspace following incidents where commercial flights were struck by gunfire near the Port-au-Prince airport. A Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale was hit by gunfire on approach, causing it to divert to the Dominican Republic where it landed safely. Similarly, JetBlue reported one of its aircraft was also struck while landing at the capital’s airport.
Dujarric expressed gratitude to the FAA for lifting the ban and highlighted the escalating violence in Haiti.
“Our colleagues from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) tell us that, as violence escalates in Haiti, over 20,000 people have been displaced across Port-au-Prince area in just four days,” he said. “This includes 17,000 men, women, and children now hosted in 15 displacement sites.”
He noted that many of the displaced had been forced from their homes multiple times, with a scale of displacement not seen since August of last year.
Despite security and access challenges, the IOM and its partners remain committed to delivering assistance to those in need. The organization is providing subsidies for rent payments, deploying mobile clinics for medical care, and offering protection services such as psychosocial support, family reunification efforts, and assistance for survivors of gender-based violence. The IOM also supports deported migrants at border crossings.
“IOM reminds all parties of the importance of ensuring the safety and security of all humanitarian personnel as well as civilians,” Dujarric emphasized. “IOM also renews our calls for unimpeded access to those in need.”
The World Food Programme is also stepping up its efforts, planning to serve hot meals to over 16,000 displaced people in the coming days. On Wednesday, it distributed food rations to more than 50,000 vulnerable people in Croix-des-Bouquets and aims to reach over 135,000 people in the capital by the end of the month. Outside Port-au-Prince, the WFP and its partners continue to provide school meals to over 430,000 children, with 70 percent of these meals prepared using locally produced and procured ingredients.
As Haiti grapples with rising violence and displacement, the resumption of UNHAS flights is a crucial step in ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches those most in need.
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UN aims to resume humanitarian flights in Haiti on Wednesday
cgtn.com
