Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield announces $60 million in additional humanitarian aid and additional security vehicles for Haiti.
During her visit to Haiti, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield unveiled a significant increase in U.S. support to address the humanitarian and security crises facing the nation. The announcement underscores the U.S. commitment to a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach in line with the U.S. Ten-Year Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, focusing on helping the Haitian people who have endured protracted governance crises and severe gang violence, according to the U.S. Mission Office to the UN, which is announcing $60 million in humanitarian aid.
The fund will be managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
This new funding is intended to alleviate the considerable suffering caused by gang violence and a multidimensional crisis affecting some 5.5 million people in Haiti. The current crisis, marked by civil unrest, epidemics, economic instability and insecurity caused by organized crime, has created an urgent need for aid.
The $60 million will help fill critical gaps in several areas:
Nutrition and food security: Ensure that affected communities have access to the food they need.
– Shelter: Providing essential housing support.
– Water and sanitation services: Improve access to drinking water and sanitation facilities.
– Market-based cash assistance: Enable communities to purchase essential commodities.
– Protection services: Offer support to Haiti’s most vulnerable populations, including survivors of gender-based violence.
This new funding builds on previous commitments, bringing USAID’s total humanitarian assistance for Haiti to more than $165 million for the current fiscal year. Previous commitments totaled more than $105 million, reflecting sustained U.S. efforts to meet the complex needs of the Haitian population.
Additional security vehicles for Haiti
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also announced that the U.S. Department of Defense will provide a substantial number of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.
These vehicles are intended to strengthen the mission’s ability to assist the Haitian National Police (HNP) in its efforts to combat gang violence and improve security in general, explains the US authorities.
In addition, the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs will purchase additional armored vehicles to support MSS mission personnel. This purchase is part of a broader initiative to strengthen the HNP’s ability to deal with the criminal threats facing Haiti, Ambassador Greenfield promises, recalling that the U.S. government has already invested $200 million in the Haitian National Police, including the delivery of 16 armored personnel carriers in 2024.
This investment is aimed at improving the police’s ability to counter criminal gangs and provide better security for Haitian citizens, according to a statement from the US mission office at the United Nations.
“With the continued support of the international community,” Thomas-Greenfield said, “we will continue to work with the Kenyan-led MSS mission and the Haitian National Police to help the Haitian people achieve their goals.”
Pressure to set up the Provisional Electoral Council:
During her visit, the American diplomat held several meetings with members of the Haitian government, UN representatives and civil society to discuss the crucial issues facing the country.
During her meeting with members of the Haitian government, Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed the need for “Haiti’s transitional government to quickly appoint a credible and inclusive Provisional Electoral Council in order to lay the groundwork for free and fair elections.”
The US representative to the UN also took the opportunity to call for better coordination and communication between the transitional government and the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to restore security and enable the Haitian people to resume their daily lives.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and Prime Minister Conille also discussed priorities for current and future assistance to the Haitian people as security conditions improve.
These priorities include tackling food insecurity, youth unemployment, sexual and gender-based violence, and health infrastructure needs.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s visit underscored the United States’ commitment to supporting Haiti’s stabilization and democratic transition. Discussions with Prime Minister Conille focused on the immediate and long-term needs of the Haitian population, underlining the importance of establishing a credible and inclusive electoral process.
In addition to her meeting with Prime Minister Conille, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield met with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, and the UN Country Team in Port-au-Prince. During the meeting, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield expressed her gratitude for the important work of the team in supporting the Haitian people.
She agreed with Deputy Special Representative Richardson on the need to increase donor support and ensure seamless coordination between the international community, UNIHRO, Haiti’s transitional government and the Multinational Security Support Mission, according to spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations Nate Evans.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s visit also included a meeting with Haiti’s Presidential Transitional Council (CPT). During this meeting, she underlined the international community’s support for the PTC as the executive authority in Haiti. She thanked the CPT for its determination to appoint interim Prime Minister Conille and the new cabinet of ministers, as well as for its commitment to the swift appointment of a credible and inclusive Provisional Electoral Council. All parties agreed on the importance of making progress in preparing the country for free and fair elections, in addition to addressing urgent humanitarian, economic and security challenges, the spokesperson said in a statement.
Linda Thomas Greenfield is the Biden administration’s most impromptu U.S. official to visit Haiti.
For her short visit to Haiti, Linda Thomas-Greenfield was accompanied by several members of the Western Hemisphere Section of the State Department.