The United Nations on Monday approved a plan to send a coalition of multinational forces to Haiti in a support mission designed to address soaring gang violence and crime in the country.
The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a one-year deployment of troops, which would be sent from Kenya to Haiti. The deployment could come within just a few months.
Thirteen countries approved the resolution. Russia and China abstained from the vote but chose not to veto it, which would have killed authority for the mission.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield hailed the passage of the “historic resolution,” which she said showed the council’s “ability to galvanize collective action.”
“But today’s vote is only the first step — now, the work of getting the mission off the ground begins,” she said in a statement. “We must act with urgency as the people of Haiti cannot and should not wait for the peace and stability they deserve.”
The last time the U.N. approved a mission to Haiti was about 20 years ago, underscoring the dire crisis the Caribbean nation is facing under waves of violence and crime, which have worsened since the death of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Along with Kenya, countries expected to contribute to the mission are Jamaica, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda.
Haiti has requested the support of other nations as police have struggled to rein in a growing number of gangs that have dominated the country and its capital, Port-au-Prince.
A Haitian representative at the Security Council on Monday said the resolution offered a “glimmer of hope” for his country.
The resolution had the strong backing of the United States, which announced last month it would provide $100 million for the support mission.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the resolution vote “marks an important milestone in bringing much-needed help to the people of Haiti who have suffered for far too long at the hands of violent criminals.”
“It is now crucial that we focus on making progress in mobilizing the international support necessary to deploy this mission swiftly, effectively, and safely,” Sullivan said in a statement. “The people of Haiti deserve to feel safe enough to leave their homes, restore their livelihoods, and go to the polls to democratically elect a government that represents their interests.”
Kenya had offered to lead a policing mission in Haiti, which Greenfield publicly backed while promising to work towards approving the effort in the U.N.
Chinese representative Zhang Jun expressed some doubts about the mission but did not outright condemn the resolution.
He said nations must comply with international law and not infringe on the rights of other sovereign countries, and Zhang also scolded the international community for allowing arms to flow to Haiti.
Russian Security Council member Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow does not have any objections, but he called the resolution an “extreme measure.” Still, he conceded there was an “urgency” to the violence in Haiti.
More than 2,000 people have died in Haiti this year, while hundreds more have been kidnapped by gangs.
The Associated Press contributed.