The head of U.N. peacekeeping operations says conditions in parts of Haiti are worse than in Sudan’s devastated Darfur region. The official expressed concern that even a newly strengthened peacekeeping force may be unable to provide security for upcoming elections in Haiti’s lawless regions.

Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno says Haiti is at the tipping point. With less than 100 days to go before elections begin, it is an open question whether Haitians can break the long cycle of violence and political failure that has left their country the poorest in the western hemisphere.