Wednesday briefing: Unrest in Haiti
Kenya has suspended a planned force for Haiti
Kenya said it would suspend a plan to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti until the Caribbean country forms a new government. On Monday, Ariel Henry, Haiti’s prime minister, agreed to resign once a new transitional government is formed. It is unclear when that will happen.
Henry’s announcement came after days of violent gang attacks on police stations, prisons, the main airport, seaport and other state institutions. The gangs had threatened civil war if he did not resign.
Henry’s decision has added even more uncertainty to an already chaotic situation. The US announced on Monday that it would provide $100 million to support the Kenyan-led, multinational force, which is backed by the UN. But a Kenyan spokesperson said: “You don’t just deploy the police on the Port-au-Prince streets without a sitting government.”
Henry: He is stranded in Puerto Rico after traveling to Kenya to complete the deal. Many Haitians viewed his power as illegitimate.
Caribbean Leaders: They met for talks in Jamaica to try to establish a transitional council to lead Haiti. But a leader said Monday that no plan had been finalized.
The US will send more weapons to Ukraine
The Biden administration announced a contingency plan to send up to $300 million in weapons to Ukraine, the first new aid package for the country since funding ran out in late December. The weapons will hold advancing Russian forces at bay – but only for a few weeks, an official said.
Yet Ukraine mainly needs air defense systems. Russia has continued to bomb cities, especially in the east. The assistance includes air defense interceptors, artillery rounds and armor systems, senior defense officials said.
Will there be more help? It’s still unclear. The Senate has passed a relief bill that includes $60.1 billion for Ukraine, but Republicans in the House of Representatives have refused to put the measure to a vote.
Senators urged Biden to stop arming Israel
Eight senators – seven Democrats and one independent, Bernie Sanders – urged President Biden in a letter to stop giving Israel offensive weapons for the war against Hamas until Israel lifts restrictions on US-backed humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The letter could come at an opportune time. Biden has been openly frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and has warned him against an invasion of Rafah, in southern Gaza. Some U.S. officials have said Biden appears to be slowly reconsidering his aversion to restrictions on how Israel can use the weapons it buys.
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Restoring the hanoks of Korea
Seoul has undergone rapid urbanization during the economic boom of the past 25 years, and the number of hanoks – traditional Korean houses – has declined. In 2006 there were about 22,000 in South Korea’s capital. In 2020, there were only about 8,000.
But the hanoks that still litter Seoul’s towers and hip coffee shops have devoted fans. Craftsmen work to maintain them, an act of dedication to a slowly disappearing piece of history.
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