The United States has pledged an additional $100 million (£78 million) to support the deployment of a multinational force to Haiti. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcement on Monday after meeting with Caribbean leaders in Jamaica to address Haiti’s ongoing violent crisis.
In addition to the funding, Blinken also announced $33 million (£25.8 million) in humanitarian aid and the establishment of a joint proposal agreed upon by Caribbean leaders and all relevant Haitian stakeholders.
This proposal aims to expedite a political transition in Haiti and establish a “presidential college.”
However, Blinken did not specify the concrete steps the college would take to address the needs of the Haitian people and facilitate the deployment of the multinational force, which will be led by Kenya.
As violent attacks by powerful gangs persist in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, a joint proposal backed by Caricom, a regional trade bloc, gained traction during Monday’s meeting.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali sounded the alarm, stating, “I think we can all agree: Haiti is on the brink of disaster. We must take quick and decisive action.”
Ali expressed confidence in finding common ground to support a solution led and owned by Haiti.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the meeting as a work in progress, highlighting the ongoing efforts to address the crisis in Haiti.
Amidst surging unrest and violence perpetrated by criminal gangs that have seized control of significant portions of Haiti’s capital and shuttered its primary international airports, embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry faced calls to either resign or consent to a transitional council.
However, Henry, who has been locked out of his own country while traveling abroad, was notably absent from the meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr. Henry, remaining in Puerto Rico, was reportedly making arrangements to return to Haiti when circumstances permitted, as indicated by a brief statement from the US territory’s Department of State.
“We Haitians have to decide who is going to be the head of the country and what model of government we want,” stated Mr. Cherizier, a former elite police officer and leader of a gang federation known as G9 Family and Allies.
“We are also going to figure out how to get Haiti out of the misery it’s in now.”
Scores of people have lost their lives, and over 15,000 individuals are now homeless after fleeing neighbourhoods raided by gangs.
The situation is exacerbated by dwindling food and water supplies, as stands and stores catering to impoverished Haitians exhaust their goods.
Furthermore, the closure of the main port in Port-au-Prince has left dozens of containers carrying critical supplies stranded.
In response to the escalating violence, the Haitian government announced a nighttime curfew extension until March 14 in a bid to curb further attacks and maintain public safety.