UNITED NATIONS — The United States has officially communicated to the United Nations its decision to put a halt to certain funding for a U.N.-supported mission in Haiti, which has been focused on combating gang violence threatening to take full control of the nation’s capital. This announcement was made on Tuesday by U.N. officials.
The U.S. has historically been the largest financial supporter of the mission, which is predominantly operated by Kenyan police. Launched last year, this initiative has been grappling with significant funding shortages and a shortage of personnel. According to U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the alteration in funding will have an “immediate impact” on the mission’s operations.
This funding freeze aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump’s wider strategy to suspend foreign aid, resulting in many American aid workers losing their jobs and various global aid programs being shut down. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has proposed exemptions for critical programs, but there remains confusion about what specifically falls outside the scope of these stop-work orders, leading to a halt in international aid efforts.
The commitment from the United States had included $15 million directed towards a trust fund that supports the multinational force in Haiti, with $1.7 million already utilized, leaving $13.3 million now unavailable for use, as explained by Dujarric. The U.N. will await further instructions from the U.S. regarding the future of its financial contribution.
The current fund is precariously low, holding under $100 million of an estimated $600 million required for the multinational effort each year. Beyond the trust fund, the U.S. has also made additional financial contributions directly to operational needs. On January 29, the U.S. State Department authorized a waiver for $41 million in aid for the mission, with over $30 million in waivers still pending approval.
The funding cessation appears to have surprised officials in charge of the Kenyan mission. When approached for comments, a mission representative, Jack Mbaka, opted not to provide any immediate statement.
The mission collaborates closely with Haiti’s National Police, which faces severe underfunding and staffing issues. The police force has received substantial financial assistance from the U.S. in recent years to bolster its capacity against growing gang violence. Currently, only about 4,000 police officers are operational in a nation with over 11 million residents.
This announcement came shortly after a military group of 70 soldiers from El Salvador landed in Haiti, further supplementing the action of over 600 Kenyan officers already stationed there, along with contingents from Jamaica and Guatemala.
The implications of this shift in U.S. funding on the mission’s prospects for transitioning into a United Nations peacekeeping initiative remain unclear. Michael Deibert, author of “Notes From the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti,” highlighted that the international security mission was already facing formidable challenges and that the withdrawal of financial support would exacerbate the situation.
Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has been under relentless assault from numerous gang factions, with violence that has claimed at least 40 lives in recent days. Gangs currently dominate 85% of the area, leading U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to warn that without additional backing for the multinational force, Port-au-Prince could face a complete takeover.
Last year alone saw over 5,600 fatalities linked to gang-related violence in Haiti, in addition to over 2,200 injuries. The rampant violence has rendered more than a million individuals homeless in recent years, according to U.N. data.
Diego Da Rin, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, stated, “It’s evident that the situation in Haiti is one of unprecedented severity,” reflecting the urgent need for international attention and assistance.
According to Dujarric, a recent U.N. human rights report highlighted ongoing issues in Haiti, including the continued sexual violence and exploitation of women and girls by gang members, as well as the recruitment of minors into these gangs.
The shrinking financial aid from the U.S. could compel Haitian authorities to seek local approaches to address the pervasive insecurity, suggested Jake Johnston, international research director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He mentioned that the decrease in U.S. funds doesn’t necessarily equate to an end to the mission but may push the Haitian government to take greater responsibility, although its capacity and willingness for such an undertaking is still uncertain.
Johnston emphasized that the immediate repercussions of the funding freeze remain difficult to gauge. He expressed concern that relying heavily on U.S. funding for a multinational effort was a risky strategy, the flaws of which are becoming increasingly clear.
Haiti has already begun to feel the effects of this freeze with around $330 million in commitments suspended across various programs, including critical HIV/AIDS treatment initiatives, as noted by Johnston. He articulated that few nations are as reliant on U.S. foreign aid as Haiti, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
