During a visit to Haiti on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced an additional $60 million in humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered Caribbean nation.
This aid comes at a critical time as Haiti struggles with severe gang violence and widespread displacement.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also revealed that the U.S. Defense Department would significantly increase the provision of mine-resistant vehicles to support a U.N.-backed multinational security mission led by Kenya. This mission aims to bolster Haiti’s national police in their efforts to combat gang-related violence.
This announcement follows the arrival of a second contingent of 200 Kenyan police officers in Haiti, joining the first group that arrived last month. “We know that progress isn’t linear. There will be inevitable setbacks and stumbling blocks, and yet this mission has opened a door to progress,” Thomas-Greenfield stated.
The additional USAID assistance, now totaling more than $165 million this fiscal year, is intended to address critical needs in nutrition, food security, shelter, water, and sanitation services. It will also provide cash assistance to Haitians for purchasing basic goods.
According to U.N. agencies, the ongoing violence in Haiti has displaced 580,000 people, more than half of whom are children, and left 4 million people facing food insecurity.
Meeting with Kenyan police in Haiti
Earlier in the day, Thomas-Greenfield met with Kenyan police and leaders of Haiti’s new transitional government.
In response to a late 2022 request from Haiti for a foreign armed force to combat gangs, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spent months seeking a lead nation for the force. Kenya eventually stepped forward to lead the mission.
The multinational force is expected to eventually comprise 2,500 personnel from Kenya, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica. These forces will be deployed in phases at an estimated annual cost of $600 million, according to the U.N. Security Council.
The U.S. has already contributed over $300 million to support the formation of this force, which was sanctioned by a U.N. resolution. The Kenyan police will focus on training the Haitian national police for joint security operations, which have not yet commenced.
