Due to lack of equipment, the deployment of the MMSS could be postponed until June

Following a delay in the acquisition of equipment, the deployment of the MMSS could be postponed until June

According to an American official cited by the Floridian newspaper, Miami Herald, a delay in the acquisition of armored vehicles and helicopters equipped for medical evacuations could postpone the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti to the beginning of the month next June, while the deployment was set for May 23, according to foreign media including the New York Times.

It is also noted that Kenya, which will lead the force, has agreed with the Haitian government on the rules of engagement for security personnel, who could face fierce opposition from armed gangs in Haiti. However, the agreement has not yet been put in writing or submitted to the United Nations Security Council, a prerequisite for starting the mission.

Also according to the Miami Herald newspaper, the six-member delegation from Kenya arriving in Port-au-Prince on Monday, May 20, 2024, found that Haiti lacked equipment to accommodate a deployment of police officers.

This team emphasizes having noted that Haiti not only lacks armored vehicles to move foreign troops, but that it is also faced with a deficit of radios and communication equipment. And the mission must still procure helicopters to evacuate potentially injured people from the country, where dozens of hospitals have been destroyed or looted by gangs.