In Haiti, Blinken announces $45 million in new aid, calls for renewed security mission mandate

Port-au-Prince, Haiti — During a trip to Haiti on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $45 million in new humanitarian aid for the Caribbean nation, which has been wracked by violence for years. He also called for the renewal of the United Nations mandate for the Multinational Security Support, or MSS, mission to combat the armed gangs that dominate much of the capital. “At this critical moment, you do need more funding. We do need more personnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission,” Blinken told a news conference on a rare visit to Port-au-Prince. The top U.S. diplomat said he plans to convene a ministerial meeting at the coming U.N. General Assembly to encourage greater international contributions to address Haiti’s security, economic, and humanitarian needs. The MSS mandate is set to expire at the beginning of October. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly exploring the possibility of changing the mission into a traditional U.N. peacekeeping operation, a move that would ease funding, provide more equipment and enable use of military forces rather than only police officers. Blinken said that while the MSS mission itself needs to be renewed, it also needs to ensure that it is “reliable” and “sustainable.” “A peacekeeping operation would be one such option. I think there are others,” he told reporters on Thursday. Blinken’s visit to Port-au-Prince underscores U.S. support for Haiti as the country grapples with gang violence. On Thursday, Blinken met with Edgard Leblanc Fils from Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council. “Both concurred on the critical need to make timely advancements on election preparations,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Apart from Fils, Blinken also held talks with Prime Minister Garry Conille, MSS head Godfrey Otunge and Normil Rameau, head of the Haitian National Police. The United States and Canada are the top funders of the MSS in Haiti. The first-year estimated cost for the mission is $589 million. The U.S. has already provided $309 million — $200 million toward the MSS mission base and $109 million in financial support. Gang-related violence and drug trafficking have fueled political instability and insecurity in Haiti, leading to unbearable conditions for Haitians. At least 80% of Port-au-Prince is no longer under Haitian authorities’ control, with violence spreading to other parts of the country. In the past year, displacement in Haiti has tripled as gang violence grips the Caribbean nation. The U.N. says at least 578,000 people have been displaced because of violence, including murders, kidnappings and rapes. The situation is further exacerbated by widespread hunger, with nearly half the 11.7 million population facing acute food insecurity. After Haiti, Blinken arrived in Santo Domingo later Thursday. His visit follows the start of Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader’s second term in mid-August. The Dominican Republic will host the 2025 Summit of the Americas, where Western Hemisphere leaders will address shared challenges and policy issues facing the region. VOA’s Liam Scott contributed to this report.