UN extends BINUH mandate as international efforts intensify to stabilize Haiti

The UN Security Council has approved a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) for an additional year.

Antonio Rodrigue, Haiti's Permanent Representative to the UN, stated, “The Haitian government, through my office, welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2743, which extends BINUH's mandate for another year. This renewal signifies the international community's ongoing commitment to fostering peace, security, and political stability in Haiti.”

In recent weeks, 400 Kenyan police officers have arrived in Haiti to lead a UN-backed multinational force. These officers aim to collaborate closely with Haitian authorities, as well as local and international partners, to support Haiti's reconstruction efforts.

Rodrigue added, “The arrival of the first contingents of Kenyan police officers from the Special Service Unit to support the Haitian National Police in their fight against heavily armed gangs has instilled hope among the Haitian population for an end to their suffering and the violence they endure.”

Following this, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, announced in a press conference that the United States would provide over $300 million to support the Special Service Unit in Haiti. This unit will work alongside the Haitian National Police to enhance security conditions.

“There is reason to be hopeful about the future of the Special Service Unit and Haiti’s political outlook more broadly,” Thomas-Greenfield said, “but much more needs to be done to ensure accountability for atrocities, including through sanctions.”

Kenya has pledged a total of 1,000 police officers to the international force to aid in addressing Haiti’s humanitarian crisis. The ongoing violence has displaced over half a million people.

On Friday, Haiti’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Garry Conille, along with the country’s police chief, visited the capital’s largest hospital. Authorities had reclaimed the medical institution from armed gangs over the weekend.

Attacks by criminal groups have pushed Haiti’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse, causing a surge in patients with serious illnesses and a critical shortage of resources to treat them.