UNO: The United States and Canada may lead an international armed force to help Haiti fight gangs, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti said on Wednesday, adding that they have expressed "caution" but not "a definite "no."

Helen La Lime expressed optimism that the United Nations Security Council would respond favourably to the issue of the force that the Haitian government had requested. At a recent conference, she declared that the Haitian National Police would work with an international armed force "that would go against the gangs."

She spoke a day after the Security Council meeting, where the U.N. and Haiti made fresh pleas for assistance to stop the escalating violence in the Western Hemisphere, but the United States and Canada showed no interest in sending their security personnel.

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Robert Wood, the deputy ambassador of the United States, told the council that Haiti "must address its continued insecurity challenges" and urged other nations to aid the country in its endeavours.

The previous military interventions in Haiti, which failed to bring about the nation's long-term stability, the world must learn from, according to Robert Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations. Future solutions, according to him, "must be led by Haitians and by Haitian institutions," he said.

Ariel Henry, the prime minister of Haiti, and the Council of Ministers of the nation issued an urgent appeal on October 7 requesting "the immediate deployment of a specialised armed force, in sufficient quantity," in order to end the crisis that has been exacerbated in part by "armed gangs' criminal activities."

The appeal was made by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and La Lime reiterated it on Tuesday because no nations have responded more than three months later.

La Lime claimed that the Security Council was deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Haiti. "Gang-related violence has reached levels not seen in years," she told the council on Tuesday.

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According to her, homicides and kidnappings rose for the fourth year in a row in 2022. According to her, there were 1,359 kidnappings last year, or about four per day on average, more than double the number in 2021. Killings increased by a third to 2,183, affecting all facets of society, including the director of the National Police Academy and a former presidential candidate.

La Lime claimed that sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada as well as the Security Council's unanimous adoption of a resolution in October imposing sanctions on people and organisations endangering peace and stability in Haiti, beginning with a potent gang leader, are having an effect.

A "National Consensus Agreement for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections," which was signed on December 21 by a wide range of political, civilian, religious, trade union, and private sector officials, was hailed as a positive development on the political front and calls for elections to take place by February 2024.

But she emphasised on Wednesday that a specialised international military contingent to support the police is the essential component still lacking.

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According to La Lime, "there is a lot of concern and I think there is recognition that help is needed" within the Security Council. "The sanctions are still working, and there is an understanding that it is time to discuss this force issue. So, I'm hoping the Security Council will take that action.