- 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.
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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.
Why are the funds unavailable?
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. 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.
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.
