Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, announced his resignation on Thursday, relinquishing power to a transitional council tasked with stabilizing the violence-stricken nation.
In his resignation letter dated Wednesday, Henry cited the “current state of affairs” as the impetus for his decision to step down. “We have served the nation in difficult times. I thank everyone who had the courage to face such challenges with me,” he expressed.
Recent weeks have seen Haiti besieged by chaos and gang violence, with criminal groups launching attacks on government institutions and pushing the nation to the brink of collapse.
Michael Patrick Boisvert, the country’s finance minister, has been appointed as interim prime minister until a new government is established, according to a statement from Henry’s office on Thursday.
“Haiti, our country, is at a crossroads in the search for solutions to overcome this multidimensional political crisis, that has lasted for so long, and the consequences of which are detrimental to the population, to property, and both public and private infrastructures,” Boisvert remarked during the swearing-in ceremony at the Prime Minister’s office, Villa d’Accueil.
A transitional council, comprised of seven voting members and two non-voting observers, has been charged with the responsibility of selecting a new prime minister and cabinet. The committee will exercise certain presidential powers until a new president-elect assumes office, a transition that must occur no later than February 7, 2026.
Henry had previously announced his intention to resign in March, contingent upon the resolution of the country’s leadership crisis, which prompted the establishment of the transitional council.
The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) welcomed the formation of the council, expressing hope for a “new beginning for Haiti” in a statement earlier this month.
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, also praised the development, urging the prompt deployment of a multinational security mission to aid Haiti’s police. Since February, attacks by an insurgent alliance of gangs in the capital Port-au-Prince have paralyzed the city’s international airport and seaport, disrupting vital supply chains for food and aid and prompting the evacuation of foreign nationals.
With the city effectively isolated, hospitals have been vandalized, while warehouses and food storage containers have been looted as social order deteriorates.
According to the UN, nearly 5 million people in Haiti are facing acute food insecurity, posing an immediate threat to their lives and livelihoods.
“This is the worst humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake. I don’t think that’s sunk in,” remarked Jean-Martin Bauer, the World Food Programme’s country director for Haiti, in a recent interview with CNN.
Meanwhile, the UN human rights office issued a chilling report detailing the severe underreporting and lack of punishment for sexual violence in Haiti, including cases of rape and forced sexual relations with gang members, as well as a surge in gang violence across the country.
