Kenya, Feb. 5 -- The United States has stopped its financial help to a United Nations fund that supports a security mission in Haiti, according to a UN spokesperson on Tuesday. This stop means that $13.3 million in aid will not be sent.

The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said, "We received a message from the US asking us to immediately stop their contribution" to the fund for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, which is already in need of more funding and is led by Kenya.

The UN Security Council approved the MSS mission in October 2023 to help Haiti fight against violent gangs that control large areas of the country.

The US funding stop is part of new President Donald Trump's plan to reduce overseas aid, including efforts to close the main US aid agency, known as USAID.

In late January, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that if the international community does not increase aid, gangs could take over Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.

Guterres said more money, equipment, and personnel are necessary for the international security force. He added that any further delays could lead to a "catastrophic" failure of Haiti's security and allow gangs to take control of the capital.

Haiti's Foreign Minister, Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, told the UN Security Council that the country is facing "major difficulties" that threaten not only the people but also "the very survival of the state."

The MSS mission is not a UN force, but the UN has created a fund to help pay for it. So far, this fund has collected $110 million, which is still not enough.

Out of the 2,500 security personnel needed for the mission, just under 800 have been deployed.

The United States had given $15 million to this fund, making it the second-largest contribution after Canada's $63 million, of which $1.7 million has already been spent.

Additionally, under President Joe Biden, the United States sent over $300 million in funds and equipment, including armored vehicles, directly to the MSS.

Haiti currently does not have a president or a parliament and is ruled by a temporary government that struggles with extreme violence from gangs and poverty.

Last year, over 5,626 people were killed in Haiti due to gang violence, which is about a thousand more than in 2023, according to the UN.

More than a million Haitians have been forced to leave their homes, which is three times as many as a year ago.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.