United Nations — A new UN-backed international force tasked with combating violent gangs in Haiti has received pledges from more than 5,500 soldiers and police it is seeking. Chadian forces The UN special envoy to the violence-torn country said on Thursday that peacekeepers were already deployed in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Intermittent deployments from Chad and other countries are expected to continue in the coming months with all 5,500 members on the ground “between the fall and the end of the year,” Carlos Ruiz Massieu told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council.
The United States and Panama proposed creating a new gang suppression force in early September 2025 to replace the underfunded Kenya-led multinational force. Its strength was hovering around 1000, instead of the required 2500. The UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a 5,500-strong force on September 30, with new powers to arrest gang members.
Thirteen member states of the United Nations Security Council have pledged more than $200 million, of which $59 million has been disbursed, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations Integrated Office at the United Nations. Haiticommonly known as BINUH. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday that Qatar confirmed its pledge to provide $30 million to the UNIFIL trust fund, with $10 million paid over three years.
Jacques Christofides, the force’s special representative, told the UN Security Council meeting that the framework for how the mission would operate had been finalized, and that the multinational force was working with the Haitian National Police to establish procedures for operations, arrests and other measures.
He added, “Expectations are still high. Many see the Public Security Force as a potential turning point,” referring to the gang suppression force.
More than 2,400 people were killed across Haiti between December and February, many of them suspected gang members, as police operations intensify, according to a new report released Thursday.
This number represents a 23% increase in killings compared to the previous period, as anti-gang operations resulted in the deaths of at least 158 civilians and the wounding of more than 100 others, according to the United Nations Integrated Office report.
Overall, more than 1,300 suspected gang members were killed and 140 firearms seized.
Ongoing gang violence has displaced a record number of more than 1.45 million people, more than half of whom are children.
Last year, more than 9,000 people were killed across Haiti, with the country now reporting a homicide rate of 76 per 100,000 population, one of the highest rates in the world, according to the report.
“The people of Haiti have endured too much for too long,” Christofides said. “The scale of violence and displacement is simply unacceptable.”
Gangs have grown in power since Assassination of President Jovenel Moise In July 2021 at his private residence. Police say they control more than 70% of the capital and have expanded their activities, including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults and rape, into the countryside. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.
Christofides, a long-time U.N. peacebuilding expert from South Africa, said efforts are continuing to expand participation in the force and ensure it is equipped with the capabilities and experience it needs. He said maritime and border support would be particularly important to help Haiti manage its ports and commercial entry points.
He stressed the importance of effective coordination with the United Nations – which will provide logistical and operational support to the force – the Government of Haiti and the region, including the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Special Envoy Ruiz Massieu told reporters that the government’s current idea is to hold the first round of elections at the end of the year and the second round early next year, but he said that depends on improved security and the liberation of areas under gang control so candidates can campaign and Haitians can vote freely.
“We have reasons to be optimistic that the situation can improve in the short and medium term,” Ruiz Massieu said.
In a video posted Thursday, Haiti’s National Police said they had seized territory that had been controlled by the gangs, including a large school that was badly damaged.
An official narrating the video confirmed that a growing number of Haitians are returning to their communities after police purged them of gangs.
“It’s been more than six months since I last came to this area,” said an unidentified man videotaped by police. “We’ll start cleaning up and see if I can go home.”
On the other hand, Ruiz Massieu noted that the Council of Ministers is holding its meetings at the National Palace of Haiti in downtown Port-au-Prince, which is largely controlled by gangs. He said that the location of these meetings “is not only symbolic, but also a strong signal of the gradual return of the state.”
Haitian Prime Minister Alex Didier Fils-Aime said the transitional government “remains fully committed to helping Haiti emerge from this crisis,” and noted that it plans to increase the number of police officers and soldiers.
“The state is taking its rightful place again,” he said. “Haiti will not perish”
Deputy US Ambassador Jennifer Lucetta told the council that operations aimed at repelling the gangs showed tangible but fragile progress.
“We do not measure success by what international forces can achieve in Haiti,” she said. “We measure success by how quickly Haiti doesn’t need it anymore.”
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Cotto reported from Havana.