Over $13 million in U.S. financial support for an international security force combating armed gangs in Haiti has been put on hold due to President Donald Trump’s 90-day suspension of foreign aid, the United Nations disclosed on Tuesday.
Heavily armed gangs, equipped mainly with weapons smuggled from the United States, have formed a coalition in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. This alliance now dominates most of the city and is extending its influence into nearby regions.
The Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, while endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, does not operate under U.N. control and depends on voluntary funding. Progress in stabilizing Haiti remains limited.
Currently, about 900 police officers and soldiers from Kenya, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Belize are engaged in the mission. A U.N. trust fund for the MSS has amassed more than $110 million, with Canada contributing over half, according to U.N. records.
“The U.S. had pledged $15 million to the trust fund; $1.7 million of that had already been used, so $13.3 million is now on hold,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric informed reporters. “We have received an official request from the U.S. to immediately suspend work on their contribution.”
Shortly after assuming office on January 20, Trump implemented a 90-day halt on foreign aid to reassess its compatibility with his “America First” policy.
Korir Sing’oei, Principal Secretary at Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry, stated he was unaware of the freeze but remained confident the mission would proceed.
“In any case, we are certain that this pause will not hinder our capacity to sustain the mission,” he told Reuters, expressing optimism that the MSS could soon transition into a U.N. peacekeeping operation, making it eligible for direct U.N. financing.
The Trump administration has not yet clarified its stance on converting the MSS into a U.N. operation, a proposal opposed by China and Russia.
On Tuesday, Trump mentioned he is contemplating dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), potentially bringing a significant transformation in how the U.S., as the world’s largest donor, distributes foreign aid.
