Police take part in an operation near the national prison after the fire, as a powerful Haitian gang leader issues threatening messages to political leaders participating in the yet-to-be-formed transition council. There is. Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 14, 2024. REUTERS/Ralph Teddy Errol
(1/2) Police take part in operation around national prison after fire as powerful Haitian gang leader issues threatening messages to political leaders joining the yet-to-be-formed transitional council I am doing it. For countries… Purchase license rights opens in a new tab Read more
WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers are rejecting millions of dollars in critical funding from Washington to help deal with escalating violence in Haiti. Another potential obstacle for international forces.
Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on Senate Foreign Affairs, both called on the administration to “withhold” the $40 million requested by the U.S. State Department. He warned that this was necessary. Please check more details before raising more funds.
Congressional aides said the money held could prevent Kenyan police from being sent to Haiti unless other countries step in to fill the gap. The $40 million will cover mission-critical costs.
The State Department is consulting with Congress about approving the fund, according to a senior State Department official.
“We think this is important for deployment,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
Gang violence has escalated in Haiti, causing a deepening humanitarian crisis, cutting off food supplies and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Prime Minister Ariel Henry pledged on Monday to step down once a transitional council and interim leadership are chosen. After Kenya, which had promised to take the lead, announced it would suspend deployments following Henry’s appointment, countries have been slow to offer assistance, raising suspicions. announced that he would resign.
The Kenyan government pledged last July to send 1,000 international security forces personnel, but the effort has been embroiled in a court dispute and Kenya is seeking an upfront payment.
US commitment increases to $300 million
The United States is the military’s biggest supporter, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday during talks in Jamaica that the United States would increase its commitment to $300 million.
“Given that the long history of U.S. involvement in Haiti has yielded little results, the administration should seek more timely support from Congress before obtaining more funding,” Risch and McCall said in a joint statement. “We have an obligation to report the details.”
Lawmakers said President Joe Biden’s administration had only sent them a “rough plan” to deal with the crisis. They are concerned about whether Kenyan courts will approve the deployment and whether the troops will be able to reach Port-au-Prince.
The first State Department official said 68 briefings have been held with Congress about the situation in Haiti and the military, and that $50 million in funding, including those currently underway, will be used to provide military equipment, training and personnel kits. , adding that the money will be used for uniforms.
Of this, $10 million released has already been obligated, including reimbursing Kenya for training costs, officials said.
Congress has already approved the Pentagon’s $200 million contribution to support logistics, supplies and services to contributing countries, a Pentagon spokesperson said.
A second State Department official said the U.S. is also encouraging other countries to contribute, but the challenge is “unprecedented global crises,” including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Keith Mines, deputy director for Latin America at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said he would be surprised if Kenya was able to send in police before receiving funding.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen at all until we get the money,” Mines said.
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Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Patricia Zengerle. Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington and Aaron Ross in Nairobi. Edited by Don Durfee and Lincoln Feast.
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