United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday that Haiti’s spiralling violence and humanitarian collapse demand an international security force “without delay,” backed by predictable financing and logistical support from the UN. He said Haiti is now one of the world’s five worst humanitarian hotspots yet remains the least-funded appeal on the agency’s books, warning that the shortfall is “a life-and-death emergency.” Guterres urged stricter enforcement of the existing arms embargo and targeted sanctions against individuals fuelling gang violence, which has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and crippled basic services. He also disclosed that six UNICEF staff were kidnapped last month and have since been freed, underscoring the growing risks for aid workers. Despite the turmoil, the Secretary-General noted “emerging signals of hope” in the political arena, citing closer cooperation between Transitional Presidential Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr and Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as they seek a consensus path toward elections. Guterres called on Council members to close the funding gap and authorise the long-discussed multinational security mission to help stabilise the country.