US freezes over Sh1.7 billion funding for Kenya-led Haiti security mission
Despite its initial momentum, the security mission remains underfunded, poorly equipped, and operating with only a fraction of the planned 2,500 security personnel.
The US has frozen more than $13 million (Sh1.7 billion) in funding for the Kenya-led multinational security mission in Haiti under President Donald Trump’s 90-day foreign aid pause, the United Nations confirmed on Tuesday.
“The US had committed $15 million to the trust fund; $1.7 million of that had already been spent, so $13.3 million is now frozen,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
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“We received an official notification from the US asking for an immediate stop work order on their contribution.”
The Kenya-led mission, deployed to help restore order in Haiti’s gang-controlled capital, Port-au-Prince, was approved by the UN Security Council but is not a UN operation.
It remains dependent on voluntary contributions, which have so far been limited. More than $110 million has been deposited into the UN trust fund supporting the mission — over half of it from Canada.
The fund itself was created at Washington’s insistence to encourage member states to contribute, but many countries remain hesitant, citing donor fatigue.
Underfunded and underequipped
Despite its initial momentum, the security mission remains underfunded, poorly equipped, and operating with only a fraction of the planned 2,500 security personnel.
On Tuesday, 70 Salvadoran soldiers arrived in Port-au-Prince, though they are not combat troops but aviation specialists deployed to handle medical evacuations — previously carried out by US and Dominican military aircraft.
Meanwhile, powerful Haitian gangs, armed largely with weapons trafficked from the US, have united under a common alliance, tightening their grip on Port-au-Prince and expanding into surrounding areas.
The freeze on US funds is part of Trump’s broader review of foreign assistance, a policy shift aimed at ensuring aid aligns with his administration’s “America First” foreign policy.
Hours after taking office last month, Trump ordered an immediate halt on foreign aid disbursements pending a 90-day review. The pause has affected everything from health programmes to security initiatives worldwide.
In Haiti, where the US is the single largest donor, the aid freeze has forced clinics providing HIV/AIDS treatment to suspend operations, and security advisers hired to assist both the Haiti National Police and the Kenya-led mission have been laid off, according to the Miami Herald.
Uncertain future for US support
During his Senate confirmation hearing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude to Kenya for leading the Haiti mission and signalled support. However, neither he nor Trump has confirmed whether the US intends to continue financial backing for the operation.
Under former President Joe Biden, Washington had committed more than $620 million in support for Haiti’s stabilisation efforts, but the Trump administration has not indicated if it will sustain that funding.
Adding further uncertainty, the Trump administration has not stated whether it will back a proposal — pushed by the previous administration — to transition the current force into a formal UN peacekeeping mission, a move that would require approval from the UN Security Council, including Russia and China.
Before leaving office, the Biden administration reportedly warned Haitian officials that funding for the mission could dry up by March unless additional support was secured. The Pentagon had identified an extra $120 million for Haiti, but it remains unclear whether the funds were disbursed before Biden’s departure.
With the Trump administration freezing critical funding and broader uncertainties surrounding the mission’s future, the Kenya-led security operation in Haiti is at a crossroads — caught between geopolitical shifts and Washington’s recalibrated foreign policy priorities
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