Headlines:
| Preval appeals to hungry Haitians to end food riots |
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| Wednesday, 09 April 2008 | |
 Haitian
President Rene Preval has appealed to his countrymen to stop rioting over
rising food prices.In a televised address, Mr. Ppreval said looting and violence would not resolve Haiti's problems. At least five people have been killed during a week of violent demonstrations which continued Wednesday. The demonstrations have centred mainly on the rising cost of staples like corn, rice and cooking oil but there is no doubt that President Preval is also a target. For a second day running, witnesses said United Nation's (UN's) peace keepers fired rubber bullets to keep protesters away from the presidential palace. Rising food prices is causing unrest around the world but in Haiti, home to some of the world's poorest, it threatens to destabilize an already fragile democracy. The unrest poses a serious challenge Mr. Preval's authority. He came to power two years ago promising to restore peace to a country torn apart by fighting between rival armed gangs. Critics have said both Mr. Preval and the international community have focused too much on political stability and not enough on helping to alleviate poverty and now growing hunger. In his first comments since the demonstrations began, President Preval on Wednesday said he had ordered the UN forces and Haitian Police to bring an end to looting which has led to a virtual shutdown of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Mr. Preval blamed the rising prices on global events and failed policies but urged the Haitian Parliament to cut food taxes. He added that Haiti's predicament came partly from its dependency on imported rice which has weakened national production. 
Meanwhile, the
UN Security Council has called for emergency aid to relieve hardship in Haiti. The world body made the appeal while strongly deploring the violence now gripping the country because of rising food prices. A UN statement expressed concern at the humanitarian situation in Haiti, and encouraged international donors to provide emergency relief. The vast majority of Haiti's people are said to be seriously affected by a global rise in food prices. |