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Port-au-Prince, Feb. 4, 2025 (Haiti Wire) — The United States has frozen its financial support for the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) in Haiti, a United Nations spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. The move suspends $13.3 million in pending aid for the already underfunded Kenya-led security force.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said the U.S. issued an official order to immediately stop work on its contribution to the MSSM. The decision follows newly elected President Donald Trump’s broader effort to cut U.S. foreign aid, which includes plans to scale back USAID operations.
The MSSM was authorized by the UN Security Council in October 2023 to support Haitian authorities in their fight against armed gangs. However, the mission has struggled with limited funding, personnel shortages, and logistical hurdles.
To date, the UN has raised $110 million for the force—far short of what is needed. Just under 800 of the planned 2,500 security personnel have been deployed.
The U.S. had initially pledged $15 million to the fund, making it the second-largest donor after Canada, which contributed $63 million. Of the U.S. commitment, only $1.7 million had been disbursed before the freeze.
Haiti’s security situation remains dire. Guterres recently warned that Port-au-Prince could fall entirely into the hands of gangs if international support does not increase.
“Haiti’s security institutions risk collapse, and delays in assistance could allow gangs to overrun the entire metropolitan area,” he cautioned.
Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste echoed these concerns during a recent UN Security Council meeting, stating that the country is facing “major difficulties” that threaten not just public safety but “the very survival of the state.”
The crisis has already displaced over a million Haitians—three times more than a year ago—while gang-related violence claimed at least 5,626 lives in 2024.
Haiti currently has no president or functioning parliament. A transitional council is leading the country but continues to struggle with governance amid growing insecurity, poverty, and humanitarian challenges.
The U.S. funding freeze casts further doubt on the MSSM’s ability to stabilize the country, raising urgent questions about how the international community will respond as violence escalates.
