US Funding Freeze Won’t Impact Kenya-led Haiti Mission, Govt Spokesperson Says

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Kenya Police officers in Haiti.

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has assured that the operations of the Kenya-led multinational security support mission in Haiti will not be hindered despite the United States freezing its financial contributions to the mission’s United Nations fund.

The U.S. move, which halts $13.3 million in pending aid, was announced on Tuesday by U.N. Secretary-General’s Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

“The U.S. had committed $15 million to the trust fund; $1.7 million of that had already been spent, leaving $13.3 million frozen,” Dujarric told journalists, adding that the U.S. issued an official stop-work order for their contribution.

In response, Mwaura highlighted that over $110.3 million had been pledged by multiple countries to the U.N. Trust Fund for Haiti as of the end of 2024.

This includes contributions from the U.S., Canada, France, Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Algeria. Of that amount, $85 million had already been received by the fund.

Despite the funding freeze, Mwaura emphasized that the Trust Fund remains “well-resourced” to support the mission until at least September.

He also reiterated Kenya’s commitment, along with its partners, to ensuring a smooth transition of the mission to a fully U.N.-led operation to ensure its long-term financial sustainability and security mandate.

Haiti gang leader Jimmy Cherizier alias Barbecue.

The mission, approved by the U.N. Security Council in October 2023, was set up to assist Haiti’s authorities in combating criminal gangs in the Caribbean nation.

While it is not a U.N. operation, the mission currently depends on voluntary contributions.

In addition to the $15 million commitment to the Trust Fund, the U.S. has provided over $300 million in funds and equipment, including dozens of armored vehicles, directly to the mission.

The freeze is part of a broader effort by newly elected President Donald Trump to cut U.S. foreign aid, including the closure of the USAID operations.

Last month, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that if the international community does not increase support for the Haiti mission, the capital, Port-au-Prince, could fall under the control of gangs.

Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura.

Guterres stressed the need for more resources—money, equipment, and personnel—warning that further delays could lead to the “catastrophic” collapse of Haiti’s security institutions.

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