UNITED NATIONS (CMC) — The United States (US) says while it is determined to assist the Haitian people achieve peace, security and prosperity, it “cannot continue shouldering such a significant financial burden”.

Addressing a special session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Monday, Ambassador Dorothy Shea said that the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country “is woefully behind on the organisation of elections and the restoration of democratic order”.

Earlier, the United Nations special representative to Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, warned that Haiti is facing the “point of no return” as gang violence escalates and the state struggles to respond.

She said that international aid was urgently needed to prevent further collapse and “total chaos”.

“As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability and increasing scepticism about the ability of the state to respond to their needs,” the head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) said.

“Haiti could face total chaos,” she said, adding that international aid was desperately needed to avoid that fate.

Shea told the security council that while Washington remains “determined to assist the Haitian people to achieve the peace, security and prosperity they deserve, and while we acknowledge with
gratitude to those countries that have contributed to the MSS (Multinational Security Support) mission financially and in kind, America cannot continue shouldering such a significant financial burden”.

The United Nations (UN) Security Council in 2023 passed a resolution for the Kenya-led MSS mission to assist the Haitian government in its efforts to bring peace and stability to the country in the face of armed criminal gangs.

But the MSS has so far failed to push back the gangs. The mission has around 1,000 police officers from six countries, but was intended to have 2,500.

Shea said that from the quarterly report by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, “it is clear that there are harrowing trends of increased deaths, reports of sexual violence and recruitment of children into gangs, and that Haiti continues to face serious challenges in both security and governance.

“We extend our condolences to the citizens of Haiti for the lives lost, and to the people and Government of Kenya for the loss of MSS police officers.”

The US diplomat commended the efforts of the BINUH “against this backdrop”, saying, “But as has been made clear in your report, the security situation is seriously hampering your ability to do so.”

“Gang violence continues to disrupt the critical services BINUH needs to fulfil its mandate. Currently, BINUH maintains a skeleton team on the ground in Haiti, with all other personnel working remotely. Additionally, BINUH’s medical support has been limited to a single doctor, an alternating nurse and one UN volunteer programme doctor.”

She said that BINUH’s team remains operationally hampered and limited in their ability to effectively carry out their mandate.”

But she reiterated that a special political mission alone is neither mandated nor sufficient, even with security enhancements, to address the unprecedented challenges posed by escalating gang violence.

“Moreover, the country is woefully behind on the organisation of elections and the restoration of democratic order. There remain deep concerns regarding safety and security in the broader Port-au-Prince area and increasingly, in areas beyond the capital.

“The United States supports the statement issued by Caricom condemning any actions to destabilise Haiti’s governing institutions,” she said, adding, “We continue to support the ongoing efforts by the Kenya-led MSS mission to assist the Haitian National Police in countering these armed gangs.”

But the US diplomat said that corruption continues to remain a major issue.

“We condemn the actions of those who commit abuses of office, work with the gangs and participate in the trafficking of arms and ammunition. An environment that is permissive to such malign activities will only continue to fuel gang violence and ensure that the situation is never resolved.

“We look forward to the Haiti Panel of Experts’ upcoming recommendations for sanctions targets. The imposition of UN asset freezes, travel bans on gang leaders and their facilitators is an important tool the security council has to promote accountability for those destabilising Haiti.”

The US ambassador said supporting anti-corruption efforts and promoting accountability for those responsible for abuses is imperative to facilitating a swift end to violence.

“We know the gravity of the security situation demands we address the long-term sustainability of the international community’s stabilisation efforts — both BINUH and the MSS mission.

“The US government continues to work closely with BINUH, the Haitian government, the MSS mission, the Organisation of American States, and the international community to drive progress forward. To that end, we encourage international stakeholders and donors to come to the table and contribute their fair share,” the diplomat said.