The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Helen La Lime, informed the Security Council of the rapid deterioration of security in the country and of very worrying outbreaks of violence in the capital Port-au-Prince.As for the discussions on the formation of a future government, they are in “a prolonged deadlock”.For the month of May alone, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) reported 201 intentional homicides and 198 kidnappings, an average for each of nearly 7 cases per day.“The horrific violence that befell the suburbs of Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre in late April and early May, during which women and girls were particularly exposed to sexual violence, is not an example of the state of terror in which the political and economic heart of Haiti has been plunged," said the Special Representative.In the agglomeration of the capital Port-au-Prince, the grip of the gangs extends inexorably.Kidnappings and intentional homicides increased by 36 and 17% respectively compared to the last five months of 2021.Dozens of schools, medical centers, businesses and markets had to close, continued Helen La Lime, who also heads the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).Many people are trapped in their neighborhoods or even sometimes in their residences.At least 17,000 other people have been displaced from their homes, many of them struggling to find basic necessities (food, water and medicine).Traffic along the main national roads linking the capital to the rest of the country is seriously compromised as gangs have erected barricades to restrict access to areas they control, severely affecting the movement of goods.Faced with a "pervasive" and "growing" feeling of insecurity, Ms. La Lime pointed to "the apparent inability of the police to deal with the situation" and "the manifest impunity with which criminal acts are committed which "dangerously weaken the rule of law in the country".She reported to the Security Council that less than a week ago, the trial court in Port-au-Prince was invaded by a local gang, who looted and burned files and exhibits, while in other parts of the country, vigilante acts against suspected gang members are enjoying growing popular support.Ms. La Lime called for immediate assistance from UN Member States to develop the Haitian National Police so that it can combat growing crime and violence.The police in Haiti “currently lack human, material and financial resources to effectively fulfill their mandate”.Much of the instability stems from the prolonged institutional vacuum.Parliament has not met for two and a half years.The assassination of the Haitian President almost a year ago sent the country into a state of shock.The justice sector is almost completely paralyzed.To date, the multiple initiatives and proposals to move forward have yielded few concrete results, according to the Special Representative.BINUH is focused on reviving contacts between the parties, "through a series of informal gatherings", aiming to find a way towards possible future elections.The deadlock in the investigation into the assassination of the late President Moïse – no less than five judges in charge of the investigation have succeeded in less than eleven months – illustrates the deep-rooted problems of the Haitian judicial system: resources limited financial and material resources, frequent strikes and deteriorating security.Protracted insecurity and protracted political uncertainty, combined with a dire economic situation and growing humanitarian needs, are seriously hampering the country's socio-economic development, deepening economic inequalities and undermining peacebuilding efforts, continued the head of BINUH.With gross domestic product contracting by 1.8% in 2021, humanitarian needs continue to rise, especially following the earthquake that devastated the Southern Peninsula last August.This year, some 4.9 million Haitians are expected to require humanitarian assistance, including at least 4.5 million people who are expected to require emergency food assistance.“It is essential that Haiti remain at the forefront of the concerns of the international community,” insisted Ms. La Lime, and that the Haitian authorities receive adequate assistance to meet these challenges.“Nevertheless, only Haitians hold the key to exiting their country's protracted crisis.BINUH will continue to encourage all parties to constructively engage and come together to chart a common path towards a return to democracy,” she said.Beekeepers in the commune of Bonbon, in southern Haiti, are creating a honey craze in a region barely recovering from the 2021 earthquake.