A new 21-member CARICOM Joint Task Force-Haiti (CJTF-H) relief team comprising members of Jamaica’s security forces will be deployed to Haiti to support the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission there, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has announced.
The team includes 18 members of the JDF and three members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Their deployment marks the continuation of the work begun by the CJTF-H advance team, which was sent to Haiti in September 2024.
According to the JDF, the initial team—now returning home—completed its mission successfully, playing a key role in helping establish the MSS Headquarters and setting the groundwork for follow-on forces operating in what the JDF called “one of the most volatile security environments in the region.”
Throughout the deployment, the Jamaican contingent took on both strategic and operational roles, supporting the MSS mandate. The JDF noted that one of the team’s major contributions was “the delivery of essential intelligence and operational planning support to the MSS Headquarters,” which helped shape mission strategy and allowed for coordinated security operations across Haiti.
In addition, the team provided security at the Logistic Support Area, the main hub where MSS personnel are housed and where critical facilities are located.
Colonel Kevron Henry, who led the advance team, praised the Jamaican personnel for their bravery and commitment. “Our team performed with professionalism, courage, and unwavering discipline in one of the most challenging operating environments in the region,” Henry said. “The threat level in Haiti is high and constant, but our personnel were highly motivated and undaunted. They contributed meaningfully to the development and execution of the MSS mission and represented Jamaica with distinction.”
“I cannot stress how hostile the environment was,” he added. “The operational teams led by our Kenyan partners took heavy gunfire regularly and required significant logistical support. The JDF contingent, he pointed out, was vital to this function as we were involved in the training of other deployed personnel, and in the maintenance of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), a critical asset in the MSS’s operational capabilities.”
Henry also highlighted the role of a legal officer within the team, who was instrumental in shaping the mission’s legal framework and ensuring oversight and accountability for MSS personnel in Haiti.
The JDF emphasized that the rotation of personnel is part of Jamaica’s long-term commitment to supporting the MSS mission and contributing to Haiti’s stability.
 relief team comprising members of Jamaica's security forces will be deployed.){kind=link}