Belize Reaffirms Commitment to Haiti at UN General Assembly  

Tonight, the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, igniting international crises. Nearly a year has passed since Israel began its bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip, which started after the Palestinian militant group Hamas fired rockets into Israel in protest of the Gaza blockade. The ongoing war has forced many Palestinians to flee their homes.  Earlier today, Iran retaliated against Israel’s killing of a top Islamic commander by launching nearly two hundred missiles. Fortunately, most of these were intercepted by Israel’s defense system, but the country has signaled its intent to retaliate.  Belize remains steadfast in its position that the occupation of the Gaza Strip is unjust and has consistently supported calls for a ceasefire. On Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca reiterated this stance during his address at the seventy-ninth Session of the UN General Assembly in New York City.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“Conflicts should not be allowed to fester. The war in Ukraine is now two years running and we are concerned that the end is still not near.  Haiti has seized our attention once again.  For Belize, the international response must be enduring for long lasting peace. and security of our sister country.  We are working through the Caribbean community to reinforce and strengthen Haiti.  And we commend the Haitian people in their resolve to define their own pathway forward. We are pleased to be contributing personnel to the multinational security support mission. For Belize is extremely worried that up to now, the international community has not fully delivered on its commitments for the MSS, nor the UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Haiti.  This jeopardizes  all the efforts towards establishing political stability, but more than that, puts the future of Haiti at substantial risk.”