U.S. military planes loaded with civilian contractors and supplies have begun landing in Haiti, paving the way for a seven-nation security mission, led by Kenya, to deploy to the troubled Caribbean nation in the coming weeks, American officials say.
But even as the security situation worsens and millions of Haitians go hungry, a military deployment estimated to cost $600 million represents only a fraction of the funding needed.
Biden administration officials would not say whether a specific date has been set for the deployment. The Kenyan government did not respond to requests for comment.
Several military flights, including at least seven from Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina, landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, the capital, last week, according to the US Southern Command.
Contractors were arriving to help secure the airport before building an operational base there for international security forces. More planes carrying contractors and construction equipment were expected in the coming days.
“The deployment of the multinational security support mission to Haiti is urgent, and we are doing everything we can to accomplish this goal,” Brian A. Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told reporters last week. “Every day that passes is a missed opportunity to ensure greater security for the Haitian people. And that's why we are doing everything we can, together with our Kenyan partners, to advance this goal.“
The United Nations first approved the security mission seven months ago to help Haiti, which has been ravaged by gang violence in a crisis that the United Nations says is pushing more than a million people into famine.
The deployment has been hampered by a series of delays due to objections from opposition lawmakers in Kenya and a Kenyan court. Now, officials say, legal hurdles have been cleared for a 2,500-member security force led by 1,000 police officers from Kenya to Haiti, where several gangs have taken control of large areas of the capital.
More than half a dozen other countries have also committed to contributing trainees. They also include the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica which have volunteered personnel for the force, according to the United Nations.
According to the report, Benin, in West Africa, promised 1,500 to 2,000 people, while Jamaica offered 200 police officers and soldiers. letters submitted to the United Nations The Bahamas has volunteered 150 law enforcement officers, who will focus on community policing, as well as maritime and port security.
In March, dozens of Canadian Armed Forces members flew to Jamaica to train Haitian-bound Jamaican officers in peacekeeping and combat first aid. The Canadian military reported this.
Other countries have publicly expressed interest but have not submitted official letters of commitment.
Thousands of people were killed in Haiti in the first months of this year. At the end of February, gangs that had been clashing with each other for years joined forces to take over much of the capital, blocking key infrastructure such as ports and occupying entire neighborhoods.
More than 350,000 people have been forced from their homes in the past year and millions more are unable to work due to rampant violence and indiscriminate shooting. Thousands of inmates were freed in late February when gangs attacked several prisons.
With ports blocked for several weeks, ships could not dock and food supplies had run out. After more than two months, commercial flights are expected to resume next week.
Gang leaders said their goal was to force the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry and prevent the deployment of international security forces. Henry resigned and a transitional presidential council was appointed with the aim of appointing a new interim government and holding elections by the end of 2025.
According to police chief Frantz Elbé, the Haitian National Police has already drawn up plans and timetables for taking all the areas currently occupied by the gangs.
“Our country, being a member of the great community of nations, cannot expect to solve its problems alone, especially when these may have repercussions on the security of other states,” Elbe said in an email to the New York Times.
The US government has set aside $300 million for the security mission, but has faced obstacles in convincing Congress to approve the funding. Only $10 million has been released so far.
A United Nations fund to pay for the mission amounts to just $18 million, much of it coming from Canada, according to the United Nations. But there are other ways to fund the mission, including with in-kind donations such as providing $70 million in materials and equipment. authorized by the Biden administration.
“We really hope it hits the ground as quickly as possible,” said United Nations correspondent Stephanie Tremblay. “We can't say this often enough.”
While U.S. officials have declined to say when the mission will begin arriving in Haiti, the timing is expected to coincide with a state visit by Kenyan President William Ruto on May 23.
“There's no doubt they're trying to make this a reality within the next couple of weeks,” said Jake Johnston, a Haiti expert at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington. “At this point, with all the planes landing, it's clear that they will have someone on the ground by the time Ruto is in Washington, but it will be largely symbolic. That doesn't mean there will be an operational force on the ground in two and a half weeks.”
