‘Help and hope are on the way,’ U.S. ambassador to U.N. says to Haitians after force vote

The Biden administration, which has been leading from behind the scenes to get an international force into Haiti to help the country’s beleaguered police take on armed gangs, admitted Monday that it doesn’t know how much the security mission will cost but is willing to put up $200 million to fund it.

“We intend to work with our Congress to provide $100 million in support and then the Department of Defense is prepared to provide robust enabling support, that will be up to $100 million as well,” the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said. “And while we don’t know ultimately, in the end, what this will cost, we will be looking now that we have this resolution in place, for the contribution of other countries.”

On Monday, the 15-member U.N. Security Council authorized the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission into Haiti, led by Kenya. There were 13 votes in favor, with Russia and China abstaining. Passage of the resolution came just four days shy of one year since Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry asked for help after his government’s decision to end fuel subsides triggered a gang takeover of the country’s main fuel terminal. The blockade, which lasted six weeks, led to crippling shortages of food, fuel and drinking water and shuttered businesses, hospitals and schools.

Since then, the Biden administration, along with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, have struggled to find a country to lead an international force. In late July, Kenya raised its hand. Soon came an assessment mission to Port-au-Prince, followed by a draft resolution penned by the United States and Ecuador, authorizing the force.

“It really shows that when the council comes together, we can work to achieve common goals,” Thomas-Greenfield told reporters in a press call after the U.N. vote. “Russia and China did abstain, but they did not veto and I think this says a lot to the world about what the council is capable of doing in such a time as need.”

Russian Federation Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said while Moscow is “fully aware of the scale and urgency” of Haiti’s security challenges and have no objections in principle to the mission, Haiti’s history is marred by “irresponsible foreign interference.”

This is “exactly what kicked off a spiral of degradation, which the people of Haiti have been unable to overcome for years,” he said. “For us to authorize another use of force in Haiti without being fully cognizant of the parameters of the mission is an improvident thing to do.”

U.S. officials and others, including charitable groups working in Haiti, nevertheless welcomed the vote.

Guterres’ special representative in Port-au-Prince, Ecuadorian diplomat Maria Isabel Salvador, said Haiti “will not emerge from the current security situation without strong international support for the Haitian national police.”

Though the multinational force is technically not a U.N. mission, Salvador said, her agency, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, will fully support it, within the limits of its mandate and with respect for the decisions of the Haitian government.

“Haiti is facing an emergency on multiple fronts: security humanitarian and socioeconomic,” she said. “Haitian political actors must rise to the occasion to address the challenges facing the country and its population.”

The Multinational Security Support mission is not expected to get involved with the political or development issues in Haiti, which council members said must be addressed, independently and concurrently, in order for the country to return to democratic order with elections.

“The adoption of this... resolution is a welcome step forward to addressing widespread gang violence and promoting long-term stability,” said U..S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-FL, who is Haitian American. “I am grateful for the steadfast leadership of President Biden, Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken, and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, who have been unwavering in their commitment to this international effort.”

Cherfilus-McCormick said a multinational security mission, which she has advocated for, “remains the most immediate solution to restore order. “

The mission, she said, “must lay the groundwork for a competent transitional government — one that does not include Prime Minister Ariel Henry — to ensure that Haiti can return to a sense of normalcy.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the mission, which will provide operational, static and training support to the Haiti National Police, “responds to Haiti’s request for international support to address insecurity and create the necessary security conditions for long-term stability and growth.”

He also reiterated his calls for Haiti’s political class, including Henry and members of the opposition, “to broaden consensus and restore democratic order in Haiti.”

Echoing the sentiments expressed by Thomas-Greenfield and others, Blinken said, “We continue to look to the international community to also provide funding, equipment, training and personnel to support a truly multinational effort.”

The rampant gang violence in Haiti has not only forced tens of thousands of Haitians out of their homes, but it has made it difficult to provide humanitarian assistance, which according to the U.N. is needed by almost half the population. Local charitable organizations, welcoming Monday’s U.N. vote, offered words of caution from past experiences.

“While international intervention should always be a last resort, the worsening humanitarian and health crisis demands action,” said Jed Meline, director of policy and advocacy for Project HOPE, a charity that works in Haiti. “This intervention’s success depends on active Haitian involvement. Haiti has a mixed history of international interventions and this multinational action should take a supportive role, allowing Haitians to lead meaningful change in their country.”

Johan Lefebvre Chevallier, Mercy Corps country director for Haiti, said while the charity has been “operating in an environment resembling an urban war zone,” it is concerned that the U.N.-sanctioned mission doesn’t “cause more harm than good, putting more people at risk of violence, and that it does not prevent humanitarian organizations from accessing those most in need of support.

“We have seen before that international interventions have not led to change in Haiti. For this intervention to make a real difference, it requires the involvement of Haitians, which has not been a meaningful part of any past intervention. Haitian solutions should be Haitian-led,” he said.

Thomas-Greenfield said the international community has learned from past intervention efforts in Haiti and have put safeguards in place. ”The Security Council resolution makes clear the mission must operate in strict compliance with international law and calls for safeguards to promote respect for human rights and accountability,” she said.

Quoting the late Haitian singer Michael “Mikaben” Benjamin, who died a year ago this month after collapsing on stage during a concert in Paris, Thomas-Greenfield said Haiti is like “a mother who stands strong and tall, who has been through a lot, but whose children can walk with their heads held up proud.”

“To the people of Haiti, my message is this: Continue to stand strong and tall. Help and hope are on the way,” she said.