U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANSWERS AFRICA

Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti says its helicopters and other vehicles will soon no longer be able to transport supplies by the humanitarian community or schedule special flight requests.

A Friday statement says that “air and land transport resources previously available to the community will be drastically reduced in the very near future as part of the ongoing transition process” within Haiti’s U.N. operations.

There could be allowances in the case of an “exceptional life-saving situation.”

The announcement comes as U.N. chief Antonio Guterres is recommending that Haiti’s U.N. stabilization mission wrap up with the departure of all 2,370 military personnel by Oct. 15.

He says a smaller successor operation should be established.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to debate the future of Haiti operations next week.