Kenya said on Wednesday said the operations of the Kenya-led multinational security support mission in Haiti won’t be jeopardised after the United States froze its financial contributions to the force’s United Nations fund.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the move, which stops $13.3 million in pending aid, was announced by U.N. Secretary-General’s Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Tuesday.
“The U.S. had committed $15 million to the trust fund; $1.7 million of that had already been spent, so $13.3 million is now frozen,” Dujarric told journalists.
“We received an official notification from the U.S. asking for an immediate stop work order on their contribution.”
According to Mwaura, some $110.3 million had been pledged by several countries towards the U.N.
Fund for Haiti, including the U.S., Canada, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Algeria as of the end of 2024.
He said despite the freeze, the fund remained “well-resourced” to support the mission through September.
“Kenya and its partners remain fully committed to ensuring the mission transitions to a full U.N.-led operation to guarantee its long-term financial sustainability and security mandate,” added Mwaura.
The security mission was approved by the U.N. Security Council in October 2023 to support Haiti’s authorities in fighting criminal gangs in the Caribbean country.
It is not a United Nations operation and currently relies on voluntary contributions.
In addition to the $15 million transfer to the fund, the U.S. had contributed over $300 million in funds and equipment directly to the MSS, including dozens of armoured vehicles.
The funding freeze is part of newly elected President Donald Trump’s push to slash Washington’s overseas aid, including closing operations of the government’s main aid agency, USAID.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singoei said that the UN Trust Fund for Haiti is the Fund that supports the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti as established in October 2023 by UNSCR 2699.
“The Kenyan led MSS has police deployments from not just Kenya but Guetemala, Jamaica, El Salvador, Bahamas, and Belize among others. As at the end of 2024, US$110.3 million had been pledged by several countries including theUSA, Canada, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Algeria.”
“Some US$85 million had been received by the Trust Fund including substantial amounts from the United States,” he said.
He said while undisbursed US contribution to the Trust Fund of $15 million has been paused as per presidential directive, the Fund has sufficient resources to continue underwriting the Mission until end of
September 2025.
“The transition of the Mission to a full UN Mission to ensure financial sustainability is a key priority to which Kenya and all partners are committed.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has asked the United Nations to consider sending a peacekeeping force to Haiti.
The suggestion was made in a letter Macron sent to the U.N. after meeting with Leslie Voltaire, resident of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
Just last month, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince could become overrun by gangs if the international community does not step up aid to the security mission.
He said more money, equipment and personnel were needed for the force, adding that further delays risk the “catastrophic” collapse of Haiti’s security institutions.
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