San Juan, June 8: US Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that the US is investing more than USD 100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti's humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.

The announcement was made ahead of an official trip to the Bahamas for a meeting of Caribbean and US leaders hosted by Harris and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis. France Knife Attack: Attacker Stabs Several People, Including Children in Annecy, Arrested.

As part of the initiatives, the US Justice Department expects to appoint a coordinator to oversee cases involving illegal weapons smuggling in the Caribbean as island nations report a rise in violent crimes.

In addition, the State Department vowed to help improve forensic work in the region, help strengthen local police departments and support a unit based in Trinidad and Tobago aimed at helping islands solve gun-related cases and provide training for the collection and analysis of related intelligence.

The US, with help from the U.K., also will establish a program in the eastern Caribbean to mentor local judges and prosecutors in a bid to improve prosecutions of gun-related crimes as island nations struggle with a backlog of cases.

The State Department also expects to work with Haiti's National Police, a severely underfunded and understaffed agency struggling to quell a surge in gang violence, to help investigate and prosecute crimes with US ties that involve gangs, weapons smuggling and human trafficking.

That initiative is considered key given that gangs are estimated to control up to 80% of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince as killings and kidnappings soar across the metropolitan area and beyond.

Harris announced that the US Agency for International Development will invest nearly USD 54 million in Haiti to help fight a sharp rise in starvation and provide access to potable water and healthcare. Almost half of Haiti's more than 11 million people are facing acute food insecurity, and 19,000 are in catastrophic famine conditions. Chinese Influencer Dies After Binge-Drinking Alcohol: Zhong Yuan Huang Ge Aka Brother Huang Passes Away After Binging Excessive Amounts of Baijiu During Viral 'PK' Challenge.

Another USD 10.5 million will go toward supporting Haiti's agricultural sector as poverty deepens. USAID also expects to invest USD 20 million to help Caribbean businesses that use technologies related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. Another nearly USD 15 million will be used to boost emergency response and preparedness across the region. Additional funds will help low-lying island nations whose economies largely depend on tourism prepare and adapt to climate change.

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