International Gang Suppression Force to Combat Haitian Gangs in Haiti

The next international force in Haiti must be resourced to hold territory, secure infrastructure, and complement the Haitian National Police.  In parallel, a comprehensive approach is required to disrupt gang financing, arms trafficking, and other illicit flows fueling instability.

Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Haiti

By United States Mission to the United Nations

August 28, 2025

Ambassador Dorothy Shea
Acting U.S. Representative
New York, New York

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you Secretary-General António Guterres, Executive Director Catherine Russell, and Mr. Jean Jean Roosevelt for your briefings.

The United States remains concerned about escalating levels of violence in Haiti.  The territorial expansion of the gangs threatens to undermine gains made by both the Haitian National Police and the Multinational Security Support mission.

We continue to condemn the recruitment of children in armed gangs and the disproportionate impact of gang violence on children.  In 2024, Haiti was reported as one of the countries with the most violations and abuses against children, with the large majority committed by the Viv Ansanm coalition, which for the first time was listed in the Secretary-General’s report on children and armed conflict.

Due to the violence, over 1.3 million people – half of them children – have been displaced.  Children face constant risks of being killed or injured during gang attacks, police operations, or acts of mob justice.  Forced recruitment by gangs and recurring incidents of sexual violence rob children of the peaceful lives they deserve.

Corruption and indiscriminate violence remain major issues.  We have taken concrete steps to counter impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti with the United States’ designation of Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.  We applaud this Council for the recent designation of Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as well.  This sends an important message from the international community that we hold bad actors and entities to account.

The United States recently announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue.  In addition, we remain committed to the removal and prosecution of criminals and enablers hiding in the United States who contribute to the violence and destruction in Haiti.

These significant steps taken by the United States demonstrate the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering these criminal gangs and foreign terrorist organizations.

Mr. President, food insecurity also remains a pressing concern.  Active humanitarian and lifesaving assistance awards continuing in Haiti include U.S.-grown emergency food aid, nutrition support, logistics, shelter, clean water, and medical services for crisis-affected Haitians.  This sort of programming addresses critical needs like food, shelter, medical care for violence-affected children and survivors of sexual violence, cholera treatment and prevention, hygiene, and malnutrition treatment for families and children.

In June, the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly and the United States co-sponsored a resolution which passed unanimously to galvanize action for Haiti and to complement efforts here at the UN.  Moreover, the United States continues to work with the OAS as it proceeds with its roadmap for Haiti.  This is an important step towards the regional leadership we expect on such shared regional challenges.

Mr. President, with respect to the MSS mission, the United States thanks Kenya for its dedication, leadership and support for over the past year.  Kenya answered Haiti’s call at a critical moment, demonstrating an enormous compassion and courage, putting its people in harm’s way thousands of miles from home, and preventing a complete collapse of the Haitian state.  Without the presence of the MSS mission, the gangs would have been even more emboldened in their ambitions and brazen atrocities against civilians in Haiti.

We would also like to thank The Bahamas, El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, and Jamaica, for contributing personnel towards this effort, and to Canada for its sizable contribution to the UN Trust Fund and to the planning efforts.  As we look to combat the threat of terrorist gangs looking to topple the State, we must ensure an even greater share of the international community is invested in the fight.

To address this, today, the United States and Panama are sharing a draft UN Security Council resolution with this Council to help address the growing violence by establishing a Gang Suppression Force and creating a UN Support Office to provide logistical support to efforts on the ground.  We urge Council members: join us – join us in responding to the call from the Haitian government, as we forge a new path towards peace and security, and establish the UN Support Office to properly, and sustainably, resource this effort.  This will ensure the mission has the tools at its disposal to take the fight to the gangs and ensure that the Haitian state can meet the foundational needs of its people.

President, we note the next international force must be resourced to hold territory, secure infrastructure, and complement the Haitian National Police.  In parallel, a comprehensive approach is required to disrupt gang financing, arms trafficking, and other illicit flows fueling instability.

To make meaningful progress on this collective challenge, we need international stakeholders and donors to come to the table and join the United States, Panama, and others who have demonstrated their commitment to Haiti’s security, in meaningful burden sharing to help promote stability in Haiti.  We stand with the Haitian people as they seek a secure, stable future for their country.  We remain committed to working with the international community to drive progress forward in Haiti, and call on all Council members to take concrete action in support of this effort.

I thank you.

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The Deterioration of Haiti’s Humanitarian Crisis

The indiscriminate violence of armed groups and the near collapse of basic services have plunged Haiti into a humanitarian crisis unprecedented since 2010

There are fears that the epicentre of the current humanitarian crisis will gradually shift to an increasing number of areas previously spared by the insecurity in the Haitian nation

UN Report:

Years of underfunding of humanitarian aid and increasing needs have put millions of Haitians at risk of chronic vulnerability, according to a newly released UN report.

Reversing the situation will require the international community and donors to increase the funding of UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) relief operations, the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said in its latest advocacy note.

Growing hunger and needs

Months of violence have led to a deterioration of Haiti’s humanitarian crisis.  Displacement has tripled in the last year in Haiti as gang violence continues to rock the Caribbean-island nation, with nearly 600,000 people on the run.

“The indiscriminate violence of armed groups and the near collapse of basic services have plunged Haiti into a humanitarian crisis unprecedented since 2010,” OCHA reported, referring to the devasting earthquake that struck the nation 14 years ago.

Following the spiralling security situation in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and Artibonite in the north in February, the number of displaced persons has soared by 60 per cent, the report showed, using the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) data tracking matrix for Haiti.

Collapsing basic services

The violence continues to target civilian infrastructure, with only 24 per cent of hospitals remaining operational, OCHA reported.  The insecurity has also left 1.5 million children shut out of classrooms.

Half of the 578,000 displaced people, desperately fleeing the capital in search of safety, had made their way south, where the vast majority are staying with already economically vulnerable host families.

However, basic social services, such as education, health and water, hygiene and sanitation, already insufficient to meet the needs of the local population, have been severely strained, OCHA reported.

Forced deportations

Meanwhile, forced repatriations of Haitians from countries in the region is continuing.  Indeed, deportations of Haitian nationals even increased, particularly from April onwards, when incidents of violence were at their peak, OCHA reported.  In the first seven months of the year, nearly 100,000 people were deported from countries in the region to Haiti, according to data from IOM.

‘Wave of violence’

The violent clashes between gangs and the authorities have also persisted, even as the multinational security support mission arrived in late June to help Haitian police address the ongoing crisis.

“This wave of violence continues to have humanitarian consequences on the populations of the affected neighbourhoods and localities, but also in areas far from the capital which have become host lands for hundreds of thousands of people,” OCHA stated in the report.

Almost 300,000 malnutrition cases have been documented, and five million people, about 50 per cent of Haiti’s population, face heightened food insecurity, according to a report earlier this year by a global monitoring group, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Fears the crisis will spread

There are fears that the epicentre of the current humanitarian crisis will gradually shift to an increasing number of areas previously spared by insecurity, according to OCHA.

At the same time, the current hurricane season is expected to be active and could cause an additional shockwave on the daily lives of Haitians.

Haiti is bracing for between four and seven major storms in the months to come.

Calls to fill funding gaps

Additional financial resources are urgently needed to meet the increased needs of the Haitian population affected by this multidimensional crisis, OCHA said in its report.

Without additional funds, OCHA fears that these crises will continue.

Humanitarian concerns abound that food insecurity will continue to spread, hundreds of thousands of out-of-school children will face the risk of recruitment by armed groups and experience “lost years”, growing up without the skills needed for their future and survival, and that half a million vulnerable children and victims of protection incidents will be deprived of mental health services and psychosocial support, according to OCHA.

“While humanitarian assistance is a lifeline for many, it is only part of the solution,” the UN agency said.

“The government, political and development actors must work together to find lasting solutions to Haiti’s structural challenges,” OCHA said, echoing a call made last month by a joint UN-European Union mission to the country.

Eight months into the year, Haiti’s 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan is 33 per cent funded, having received $162.5 million out of $674 million.

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