U.N. Photo/Sophia Paris
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The United Nations is urging governments to suspend all involuntary returns to Haiti due to the still-precarious situation in the country. “Despite the recent elections and ongoing reconstruction efforts, Haiti, weakened by the earthquake, cannot yet ensure adequate protection or care, especially for some vulnerable groups in case of return,” said Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva. There are still approximately 680,000 displaced people in Haiti living in 1,000 tented camps in Port-au-Prince. “The appeal calls on governments to assess Haitian cases on an individual basis and to pay special consideration and refrain from returning to Haiti persons with special protection needs, and to prevent situations where returns can lead to family separation,” he said.