Canada is sending an official to attend an emergency meeting in Jamaica on Monday, following an invite from Caribbean leaders who want to discuss escalating gang violence in Haiti.

A spokesperson for the office of Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said Bob Rae, Canada害羞草研究所檚 ambassador to the United Nations, will attend the meeting.

Rae, who is travelling, was not available for a comment on Sunday.

Caricom, the 15-nation Caribbean bloc, said in a statement late Friday that 害羞草研究所渢he situation on the ground remains dire害羞草研究所� in Haiti. The Caribbean leaders have also invited the United States, France, the United Nations and Brazil to the meeting.

Unrelenting gang attacks have paralyzed Haiti for more than a week and left it with dwindling supplies of basic goods. Haitian officials extended a state of emergency and nightly curfew on Thursday as gangs continued to attack key state institutions.

Members of the Caricom regional trade bloc have been trying for months to get political actors in Haiti to agree to form an umbrella transitional unity government. But average Haitians, many of whom have been forced from their homes by the bloody street fighting, can害羞草研究所檛 wait. The problem for police in securing government buildings is that many Haitians have streamed into them, seeking refuge.

Caricom said Friday that while regional leaders remain deeply engaged in trying to bring opposition parties and civil society groups together to form a unity government, 害羞草研究所渢he stakeholders are not yet where they need to be.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e are acutely aware of the urgent need for consensus to be reached,害羞草研究所� the statement said.

害羞草研究所淲e have impressed on the respective parties that time is not on their side in agreeing to the way forward. From our reports, the situation on the ground remains dire and is of serious concern to us.害羞草研究所�

Joly issued a statement Friday on her social media accounts saying Canada strongly condemns the abuses being committed by armed gangs in Haiti.

害羞草研究所淐anada will continue to support Haitian-led solutions to the political, security and humanitarian crises. All Haitian stakeholders, including the government and Haitian civil society must be fully engaged in the search and implementation of these solutions,害羞草研究所� she said.

Canada pledged $80.5 million last month toward a Kenya-led multinational security mission intended to support Haitian National Police. The bulk of it, $27.1 million, will go to the United Nations Office for Project Support to buy personal protective equipment, vehicles and logistical and communications equipment for the force.

Joly said she remains in regular contact with her counterparts from Caricom, adding they will take steps to support 害羞草研究所渋nclusive political dialogue害羞草研究所� and improve the security situation in Haiti.

In February, embattled Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry agreed to hold general elections by mid-2025, and the international community has tried to find some foreign armed force willing to fight gang violence there.

Caricom has also pushed Henry to announce a power-sharing, consensus government in the meantime, but the prime minister has yet to do so even as Haitian opposition parties and civil society groups are demanding his resignation.

Henry, a neurosurgeon, was appointed as Haiti害羞草研究所檚 prime minister after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

It was unclear whether Henry would be in Jamaica for the CARICOM meeting.

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害羞草研究所� With files from the Associated Press

The Canadian Press