The deployment of a seven-country security mission, led by Kenya, to the Caribbean country where terrorist gangs thrive with impunity, is expected to take place in the coming weeks, according to U.S. officials.
However, as the security situation worsens and millions of Haitians go hungry, a military-style deployment estimated to cost $600 million has only a fraction of the funding needed.
Biden administration officials would not say whether a specific date had been set for the deployment. The Kenyan government did not respond to requests for comment.
Several military flights, including at least seven from Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina, have landed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital Port-au-Prince over the past week, according to the command southern United States (US Southern Command).
Contractors were flown in to help secure the airport before building a base of operations for the international security force. More planes carrying contractors and construction equipment are expected to arrive in Haiti in the coming days, as the Presidential Transitional Council strives to be helpful to the country, more than a week after taking office.
“The deployment of the multinational security support mission to Haiti is urgent and we are doing everything in our power to achieve this goal,” said Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Hemispheric Affairs. Western, to the press last week. “Every day that passes is a lost opportunity to provide greater security for the Haitian people. This is why we are doing everything we can, with our Kenyan partners, to achieve this.”
Preparations Ramp Up for Global Security Force to Quell Haitian Violence – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
