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Fragile states / Comment

Food crisis in Haiti: exposing key problems in the process of stabilisation

22/04/2008 By Amélie Gauthier

Eric Thayer / Getty Images

Haiti has been hard hit by the global food crisis, which has culminated in riots all over the country, an attempt to invade the National Palace, and the removal from office of the Prime Minister just weeks ahead of the upcoming International Donor Conference in Port-au-Prince.

Major progress had been made during the last year – violence had diminished and the UN peacekeeping operation (MINUSTAH) had reoriented its efforts to focus on state building, but these advances may be undone if the current crisis is not brought under control. It is still too early to evaluate the real impact of the turmoil. With a new government to be sworn in, some observers already say the effects are catastrophic.

The impact of a global food shortage in a country already suffering from a profound structural crisis could seriously undermine all achievements made to date by MINUSTAH and the international community.

This comment article explores the factors which led to this latest violent and costly episode in the stabilisation process and asks what lessons can be learnt by the UN mission there. It also warns that the combination of high levels of weapon ownership, continuing political instability, and weak leadership could spark further deadly revolts at any moment.

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Keywords

Conflict resolution Haiti Human security Institution building Latin America & Caribbean Peacebuilding Peacekeeping State building UN

Related publications

• Haiti and the international donor community
• Haiti: voices of the actors, a research project on the UN mission
• The UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti: analysis and recommendations for future mandates of the Mission

Bio author: Amélie Gauthier

MA in International Cooperation and Project Management, Ortega and Gasset Institute, Madrid; BA in International Business and Finance, École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC), Montreal. Prior to joining FRIDE, Amélie Gauthier-Campbell worked as a political analyst for the Canadian Embassy in Madrid (2005-2006).