INSIGHTi

Haiti in Crisis: What Role for a Multinational
Security Support Mission?
Updated May 16, 2024
The political and security situation in Haiti has deteriorated since the start of 2024; more than 2,500
people were killed or injured by gang violence between January and March 2024. The gangs—some of
which are aligned with political elites—amassed control over territory and illicit markets amid the deeply
unpopular government of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who assumed office following the July
2021 assassination of then-President Jovenel Moïse. Henry resigned on April 25 after the formation of a
Transitional Presidential Council (TPC).
The TPC, which consists of a cross-section of Haitian stakeholders selected with U.S. and Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) backing, is to choose a new prime minister and govern Haiti until elections can
be convened—and a president inaugurated—by February 2026. The TPC has faced immediate political
challenges, however, due to disagreements among its members about who should serve as prime minister
and president. The TPC formation took place as a United Nations (U.N.)-authorized, Kenya-led
multinational security support mission (MSS) prepares to deploy to Haiti.
The Biden Administration has pledged support for the MSS and asked other countries to contribute
funding or forces. Some Members of Congress have expressed concerns about the crisis in Haiti and its
potential to destabilize the Caribbean and fuel irregular migration. Some Members support the MSS
concept; others assert there has not been adequate planning for the mission and have withheld some
requested MSS funds.
Origins of the Multinational Security Support Mission
In October 2022, then-Prime Minister Henry requested the deployment of an international force to help
the Haitian National Police (HNP) quell insecurity and facilitate humanitarian aid. Canada, Brazil, and
other Western Hemisphere countries that participated in the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti
(MINUSTAH; 2004-2017) declined U.S. requests to lead such a force. MINUSTAH remains controversial
in Haiti due to alleged sexual abuse by some of its forces and its inadvertent introduction of cholera into
the country.
In July 2023, Kenya announced it would consider leading a multinational force in Haiti and sending 1,000
police, if authorized by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). Whereas U.S. and CARICOM officials
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praised Kenya, some analysts questioned the human rights record of the Kenyan police and whether they
could overcome language and cultural barriers. Others oppose any international security force, arguing
that previous foreign interventions in Haiti have failed.
In October 2023, the UNSC adopted Resolution 2699 to authorize a non-U.N.-conducted multinational
force, financed by voluntary contributions, to provide security for critical infrastructure and operational
support to the HNP. The resolution called on member states to contribute personnel, equipment, and
financial and logistical support.
Current Status
In January 2024, Kenya’s High Court blocked the government from deploying police officers to Haiti
without a bilateral security agreement, amid debate about the deployment’s constitutionality. Kenya and
Haiti signed a reciprocal agreement on March 1, intended to satisfy that requirement, but Kenya decided
to delay deployment until a new Haitian government took power.
Some countries were initially willing to support the MSS, and several more have pledged financial and
personnel contributions since February 2024 conferences in Brazil and Guyana. Commitments include
2,000 soldiers from Benin; additional forces from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, and Chad; a $59
million pledge from Canada; and at least $18 million in donations from other countries.
MSS leaders have developed an operational plan and created an oversight mechanism to monitor the
mission’s conduct. Participating personnel are to be subject to U.N. vetting, and those receiving U.S.
support are to complete U.S. human rights vetting pursuant to the Leahy Laws (22 U.S.C. §2378d and 10
U.S.C. §362). Some human rights experts have advocated additional training and mechanisms to prevent
and punish human rights violations.
Some observers express concerns about how complex the security situation in Haiti has become since
authorization of the MSS, saying the mission may need to be strengthened. The mission’s partner, the
HNP, is weak and, at times, allegedly complicit with criminal groups. It remains unclear whether the TPC
will appoint a prime minister with sufficient support to stabilize Haiti and bolster the mission.
Nevertheless, in early May, U.S Southern Command transported civilian contractors to Haiti to build the
MSS’s living quarters.
U.S. Funding and Congressional Consideration
To date, the United States has pledged at least $370 million to support the MSS. In October 2023,
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $100 million in foreign assistance for the MSS and $100
million in Department of Defense (DOD) funds for enabling support; in March 2024, Blinken announced
the DOD commitment had doubled to $200 million. Additionally, via presidential drawdown authority (22
U.S.C. §2318 (a)(2)), President Biden has authorized the transfer of at least $70 million in defense articles
and services from U.S. stocks to Haiti—$10 million in March and $60 million in April. Haiti and/or
Kenya also may receive additional DOD funding through other funding streams. U.S. support for the
MSS is intended to complement assistance that has been provided to train and equip the HNP through
bilateral U.S. programs and the multi-donor U.N. Basket Fund.
The United States allocated $230.9 million to Haiti in FY2023, including $45 million in International
Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) assistance focused primarily on the HNP. The
Administration is requesting $356.7 million in bilateral aid to Haiti in FY2025, including $169 million in
INCLE—$100 million of which would support the MSS.
In addition to evaluating the Administration’s FY2025 budget request, Congress may consider whether to
provide funding for Haiti and the MSS and/or to shape how prior year appropriations are used in Haiti.

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For example, some Members of Congress reportedly have placed a hold on roughly $40 million in INCLE
for MSS support.
Congress also may assess possible additional measures, should the crisis in Haiti deteriorate further. The
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-364,
Division F), does not specify a total funding level for Haiti but directs the Administration to comply with
reporting requirements in H. Rept. 118-146 and S. Rept. 118-71, including reports to the Appropriations
Committees on options to counter destabilization in Haiti.


Author Information

Karla I. Rios
Clare Ribando Seelke
Analyst in Latin American Affairs
Specialist in Latin American Affairs





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