- President Donald Trump froze $13.3 million in funding for the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti, the United Nations said Tuesday, Feb. 4. The signed executive order pauses the foreign aid for 90 days.
- The U.S. committed $15 million to a trust fund, $1.7 million of which was spent, and now $13.3 million remains frozen.
- The U.N. noted receiving an “immediate stop order” on the U.S. contribution after Trump ordered the pause on Monday, Jan. 20.
Full story
As gang control over Haiti’s capital expands, a Trump executive order signed on Jan. 20 froze more than $13 million in funding for a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. Growing violence on the island nation influenced the mission’s creation.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this data
Left 25%
Center 44%
Right 31%
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Why are the funds unavailable?
The freeze stems from an order by President Donald Trump, which puts a 90-day pause on foreign aid.
Point phone camera here
Although U.N.-backed, the multinational security force is not a U.N. operation. Kenya leads the force and voluntary contributions from multiple countries support it.
What is the Multinational Security Support mission?
So far, the MSS force has done little to quell gang violence. The violence has grown worse in recent months.
U.N. officials blamed struggles on underfunding and a lack of manpower for the mission.
Currently, there are nearly 900 police and troops from Kenya, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala and Belize in Port-au-Prince.
What does the freeze mean for the mission?
The U.N. said the U.S. committed $15 million to the trust fund. The country has spent $1.7 million so far. Now, $13.3 million is frozen.
The U.N. said it received an “immediate stop work order” on the U.S. contribution after Trump ordered the pause on foreign aid on his first day in office.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that the funding was paused on Tuesday. Still, it said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved waivers on another $40.7 million in funds for the Haitian National Police (HNP) and Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.
A Kenyan government official told Reuters that despite the freeze, there was enough money in the trust fund to finance the mission until the end of September.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Sign up for the newsletter today!
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
What is the bigger picture?
The funding freeze comes as nearly all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees were told this week they would be pulled off the job worldwide.
Few countries worldwide are as dependent on U.S. foreign aid as Haiti and USAID has reportedly set aside nearly $370 million in contracts and grants for Haiti since October 2023.
Tags: Death, Foreign aid, Gang Violence, Haiti, Military Aid, Military Defense, Port-Au-Prince, United Nations, United States, White House
[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
AS GANG CONTROL OVER HAITI’S CAPITAL EXPANDS, MORE THAN 13-MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR A MULTINATIONAL SECURITY MISSION TO COMBAT VIOLENCE ON THE ISLAND NATION HAS BEEN FROZEN BY THE U-S.
THE FREEZE STEMS FROM AN ORDER BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, WHICH PUTS A 90-DAY PAUSE ON FOREIGN AID.
ALTHOUGH U-N-BACKED, THE MULTINATIONAL SECURITY FORCE IS NOT A U-N OPERATION.
THE FORCE IS LED BY KENYA AND SUPPORTED BY VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MULTIPLE COUNTRIES.
SO FAR, THE MULTINATIONAL SECURITY SUPPORT FORCE HAS DONE LITTLE TO QUELL GANG VIOLENCE, WHICH HAS GROWN WORSE IN RECENT MONTHS.
OFFICIALS BLAME STRUGGLES ON UNDERFUNDING AND A LACK OF MANPOWER FOR THE MISSION.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NEARLY 900 POLICE AND TROOPS FROM KENYA, EL SALVADOR, JAMAICA, GUATEMALA AND BELIZE IN PORT-AU-PRINCE.
THE U-N SAYS THE U-S COMMITTED 15 MILLION DOLLARS TO THE TRUST FUND, ONE-POINT-SEVEN MILLION OF WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT, NOW 13-POINT-THREE MILLION DOLLARS IS FROZEN.
THE U-N SAID IT RECEIVED AN “IMMEDIATE STOP WORK ORDER” ON THE U-S CONTRIBUTION AFTER TRUMP ORDERED THE PAUSE ON FOREIGN AID ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE.
THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THE FUNDING PAUSE BUT SAID IT HAD APPROVED WAIVERS ON ANOTHER MORE THAN 40 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDS FOR THE HAITIAN NATIONAL POLICE AND THE MULTINATIONAL SECURITY SUPPORT MISSION.
A KENYAN OFFICIAL NOTED, DESPITE THE FREEZE, THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY IN THE TRUST FUND TO FINANCE THE MISSION UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
THE FUNDING FREEZE COMES AS NEARLY ALL U-S-A-I-D EMPLOYEES WERE TOLD THIS WEEK THEY WOULD BE PULLED OFF THE JOB WORLDWIDE.
FEW COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE AS DEPENDENT ON U-S FOREIGN AID AS HAITI AND U-S-A-I-D HAS REPORTEDLY SET ASIDE NEARLY 370 MILLION DOLLARS IN CONTRACTS AND GRANTS FOR HAITI SINCE OCTOBER 2023.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this data
Left 25%
Center 44%
Right 31%
Bias Distribution
38 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
38
Leaning Left
4
Center
7
Leaning Right
5
Last Updated
3 weeks ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
