Kenya has urgently requested financial assistance from the international community to support its police deployment in Haiti, which has recently been extended for another year.
The multinational mission, launched in June, aims to combat gang violence in and around Port-au-Prince, where escalating crime has claimed over 3,600 lives this year, including more than 100 children, and displaced over 500,000 people, according to the UN.
During a meeting in Nairobi with Haiti’s Prime Minister Garry Conille, Kenyan President William Ruto emphasized the need for the international community to fulfill its financial commitments to ensure the mission’s success.
“We are asking for necessary action to complete the task ahead of us,” Ruto stated on Friday.
The situation in Haiti remains dire, with gangs expanding their influence into new areas, leading to increased violence and displacement.
Kenya has already deployed 400 of the 1,000 police officers it pledged, with the remaining 600 currently in training and set to join the mission next month.
Other nations have collectively promised at least 1,900 additional officers.
While the mission has received UN Security Council approval, it is not a UN-led operation and relies on voluntary funding.
To date, only $85 million of the estimated $600 million needed annually has been secured through a UN-established trust fund, according to Human Rights Watch.
Ruto indicated that the existing funds could run out by March 2025, making additional financial support essential to maintain operations until October of next year.
“When resources are available, we will see tangible progress in the mission,” Ruto noted, adding that the deployment has already begun to restore a sense of hope and stability.
Conille urged international partners to deliver the promised officers to ensure the Kenyan contingent has the necessary resources.
He countered claims that Kenyan police were merely staying in camps, asserting they are actively engaged in patrols and operations in Port-au-Prince, including around universities and hospitals.
Last month, the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to extend the mission for another year but rejected calls for it to become a formal UN peacekeeping operation.
A UN human rights expert recently highlighted that the mission lacks adequate resources and requires equipment like helicopters, night vision goggles, and drones.
According to William O’Neil, the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023, has deployed less than a quarter of its planned personnel thus far.