Blinken pledges support for Haiti amid escalating violence, humanitarian crisis

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored America’s commitment to bolstering international efforts to address the country’s severe gang violence and humanitarian crisis.

Arriving in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Blinken met with interim Prime Minister Garry Conille and announced a significant new package of humanitarian aid.

“At this critical moment, we do need more funding, we do need more personnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission,” Blinken stated, emphasizing the need for continued international support. The U.S. has pledged an additional $45 million in humanitarian aid, further strengthening its role as the largest financial supporter of the Multinational Security Support Mission, which includes contributions from Kenya and other international partners.

The situation in Haiti has become increasingly dire since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, which left vast areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, under gang control. In response to the growing violence, which has displaced over 578,000 people this year alone, Haiti’s interim government expanded a state of emergency nationwide, reflecting the widening scope of gang conflict.

Blinken’s visit highlighted the urgent need for an extension of the mission initially approved last October. “The mission itself needs to be renewed,” he said. “That’s what we’re working on right now. But we also want something that’s reliable, that’s sustainable, and we’ll look at every option to do that. A UN peacekeeping mission is one option.”

The proposed UN involvement is a contentious issue in Haiti, given past controversies, including a devastating cholera outbreak linked to previous UN peacekeepers. Blinken’s remarks also included a call for Haiti to schedule new general elections next year, a critical step towards restoring democratic governance amid the political instability that has fueled gang expansion.

The visit by Blinken underscores a growing international consensus on the need for enhanced support to Haiti, even as debates continue about the best path forward for stabilizing the Caribbean nation and addressing its complex humanitarian and security challenges.