The U.S. envoy to the United Nations will travel to Haiti on Monday, U.S. officials said, a month after the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in the Caribbean country as part of an international security mission aimed at tackling gang violence.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield will make two “significant announcements during the trip in support of efforts to address the humanitarian and security emergency,” a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Gang wars have displaced more than 578,000 Haitians, while nearly 5 million face acute famine – almost half of Haiti’s 11.7 million people – of whom 1.6 million are at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations.
Armed gangs, which now control most of the capital Port-au-Prince, have formed a broad alliance as they carry out widespread killings, kidnappings for ransom and sexual violence. According to the UN, between January and August 2023, rape cases increased by 49% compared to the same period in 2022.
Some 200 Kenyan police arrived in Haiti late last month as part of a multinational security support mission to help the national police fight armed gangs. The full force is expected to exceed 2,500, but it remains unclear when they might arrive and funding is far below needs.
The U.N. Security Council authorized the force in October 2023, a year after Haiti’s previous government requested assistance. The U.S. has provided about $300 million for the mission, which is not a U.N. peacekeeping operation.
During her visit to Haiti, Thomas-Greenfield will show support for the U.N. mission and operations, urge Haiti’s interim leaders to move toward a democratic transition, including through free and fair elections, and promote actions to combat the humanitarian crisis, the government official said.
The UN has appealed for $674 million to help Haiti in 2024, but has less than a quarter of the funds.
At least 40 Haitian migrants have died at sea after the boat they were travelling on caught fire, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Haiti said last week.
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