The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, repeated yesterday Monday his call for international “support” to be offered to the Haitian police to deal with the “unprecedented” wave of violence in recent months.

“The security situation is rapidly deteriorating and humanitarian needs are increasing rapidly,” he warned from Trinidad and Tobago, where he declared the opening of the CARICOM summit, a community of Caribbean countries.

“I repeat my appeal to all partners to increase their support to the Haitian police, either in the form of funding, or training, or [της προμήθειας] equipment,” the UN Secretary-General said during a press conference after meeting with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley.

“We must collectively do more to help the Haitian people move toward elections and a political solution” to the crisis, he continued, as violence and the power of armed gangs spread across the western hemisphere’s poorest state.

The Secretary-General also called again for the “development of an international force, authorized by the Security Council” and “capable of cooperating with the Haitian police in order to dismantle the gangs responsible for this unprecedented violence.”

“There cannot be lasting security without strengthened democratic institutions, and there cannot be strong democratic institutions without a drastic improvement in the security situation,” he added.

Catherine Russell, the director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stressed last week that the situation in Haiti has “never been this bad”, citing cases of rape of girls and recruitment of children by gangs.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henri called almost a year ago for an international armed force to be sent, but so far no country has said it is willing to lead such an intervention.

Brazil and Canada are the two countries most involved in the talks, while the US appears to be favoring the reinforcement of the Haitian police.

“It is time for those who have the ability to create the basic conditions” for this force to be formed, according to Mr. Guterres, who recalled that African and Caribbean countries have declared their willingness to participate by deploying personnel.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected tomorrow Wednesday in Port of Spain, for the closing of the CARICOM meeting.