That force would “remove the threat posed by armed gangs and provide immediate protection to critical infrastructure and services,” as well as secure the “free movement of water, fuel, food and medical supplies from main ports and airports to communities and health care facilities.”The letter also states the secretary-general may deploy “additional U.N. capacities to support a ceasefire or humanitarian arrangements.”However, the letter notes that “a return to a more robust United Nations engagement in the form of peacekeeping remains a last resort if no decisive action is urgently taken by the international community in line with the outlined options and national law enforcement capacity proves unable to reverse the deteriorating security situation.”As suicides rise, US military seeks to address mental health'Nothing's left': Hurricane Ian leaves emotional toll behindDutch activists sue government over assisted suicideChina imposes lockdowns as COVID-19 surges after holidayA Canadian official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told the AP on condition of anonymity that “we are watching the situation in Haiti closely and will be working with our international partners to assess Haiti’s broader request for international support.”The letter suggests that the rapid action force be phased out as Haitian police regain control of infrastructure, and that two options could follow: member states establish an international police task force to help and advise local officers or create a special force to help tackle gangs “including through joint strike, isolation and containment operations across the country.”The letter notes that if member states do not “step forward with bilateral support and financing,” the U.N. operation may be an alternative.The deepening paralysis has caused supplies of fuel, water and other basic goods to dwindle amid a cholera outbreak that has killed several people and sickened dozens of others, with health officials warning that the situation could worsen amid a lack of potable water and cramped living conditions.The outbreak comes as UNICEF warns that three-fourths of major hospitals across Haiti are unable to provide critical service “due to the fuel crisis, insecurity and looting.”The U.S. Embassy has granted temporarily leave to personnel and urged U.S. citizens to immediately leave Haiti.Haitian officials have not specified what kind of armed forces they’re seeking, with many local leaders rejecting the idea of U.N. peacekeepers, noting that they’ve been accused of sexual assault and of sparking a cholera epidemic that killed nearly 10,000 people during their a 13-year mission in Haiti that ended five years ago.A Brazilian general and former U.N. peace mission leader who declined to be identified because he is still involved with the U.N. told The Associated Press this weekend that any peacekeeping mission would be established following a decision by the Security Council if it believes there’s a risk to international security."