U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone Thursday with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, emphasizing the urgent need to expedite the transition towards a more inclusive government, according to a senior official from the State Department quoted by Reuters. Brian Nichols, Deputy Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, stated during a think tank conference in Washington that the conversation with Mr. Henry was intense, as Haiti continues to face an ongoing wave of gang violence threatening to destabilize the government. Blinken also spoke with Guyana's President, Mr. Irfaan Ali, who currently chairs the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mr. Nichols added. "Secretary of State Blinken discussed with President Ali and Prime Minister Henry the urgent need to accelerate the transition towards a broader and more inclusive government today, and these discussions were intense," Mr. Nichols said. Mr. Nichols did not provide details on Mr. Henry's whereabouts. The Prime Minister has been in Puerto Rico since Tuesday, seemingly unable or unwilling to return to the capital, where gunfire has erupted around key transportation hubs, including the international airport. The Haitian government announced on Thursday the extension of a one-month state of emergency around Port-au-Prince following the surge of gang violence that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Authorities declared a state of emergency for the first time on Sunday following escalating clashes, the escape of detainees by armed gangs, and the displacement of tens of thousands of people while Mr. Henry was in Kenya. "Assisting Haiti in restoring security and democracy, particularly at this critical juncture, is an absolute priority for the administration," Mr. Nichols said. The United Nations estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and thousands more killed in this conflict, accompanied by numerous reports of rape, torture, and ransom kidnappings, as reported by Reuters.