United Nations (UN) officials are raising alarm over the deepening crisis in Haiti, with just 10 days left before the mandate of the UN Integrated Office in the country expires.
They warn that without urgent action to renew and bolster the mission, particularly its support for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) force, Haiti risks total state collapse.
While Kenya seeks to progress, UN officials on July 4 described a grim reality of gangs tightening their grip on Haiti’s capital, Port-Au-Prince, and a peacekeeping force dangerously under-equipped to push back.
“We have continued to witness a sharp erosion of state authority and the rule of law. The capital city was for all intents and purposes paralyzed by gangs and isolated as a result of the ongoing suspension of international commercial flights into the Toussaint Louverture International Airport,” said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, UN.
“Since then, gangs have only strengthened their foothold, which now affects all communes of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and beyond, pushing the situation closer to the brink.”
UN says violent criminal gangs have ‘near-total control’ of Port-Au-Prince
Jenča, while highlighting that that Kenya is operating in an increasingly complex environment highlighted the rapid growth in the number and activities of private security companies and vigilante self-defence groups in the war-torn nation.
Ghada Waly, Director-General, UNODC, on her part, said that organised criminal groups have gained near-total control of the capital, with an estimated 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince under their grip.
“Despite their best efforts, the MSS and Haitian National Police have been unable to make headway in restoring state authority and, without additional security support from the international community, the outlook is bleak,” she said.
Also Read: Kenya Police to Deploy New Tactic in Haiti as They Mark One Year
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres had earlier warned that without adequate resourcing, the mission’s impact on Haiti’s security will not only be limited but short-lived.
In a letter to the Security Council in February, Guterres warned that with the MSS reliant on donors for essential equipment, many of its armoured vehicles are ill-suited for the urban environment of Port-au-Prince and a shortage of spare parts has rendered half of their combat vehicles non-serviceable.
Progress of MSS Mission in Haiti
Insufficient air support, weak communication infrastructure, and limited intelligence gathering have severely hindered the mission’s effectiveness, putting officers’ lives at greater risk.
Kenya’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Yabesh Monar also emphasized that without the establishment of forward operating bases, gangs would quickly reclaim territory.
The initial plan called for 12 such bases, but currently, only three are operational.
Similarly, while the mission envisioned deploying at least 2,500 officers, only 991 are present on the ground so far—735 of them from Kenya.
“We are working at below 30 percent of the planned strength. It is crucial that today’s discussions result in clear, actionable guidance regarding the future of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). Such clarity is necessary for Kenya to decide on the continuity of its involvement,” Monari added.
Also Read: Kenyan Police Helpless as Gangs Take Over Haiti’s Capital
Family of missing Kenyan police officer in Haiti moves to court
Meanwhile, the family of a Kenyan police officer missing in Haiti has gone to court, accusing the government of failing to provide critical information about his status.
In an urgent petition filed at the Milimani Law Courts, the officer’s mother Jacinta Wanjiku Kabiru, his uncle Daniel Kabiru Ndung’u, and his brother Philip Kamau Kuria have requested a court order compelling relevant government agencies to confirm whether Benedict Kabiru Kuria is alive or deceased.
Benedict, who served in the Administration Police Service, was deployed as part of a 400-member Kenyan police contingent under the UN-supported Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.
He left Kenya on June 25, 2024, and arrived in Haiti on June 29.
Family members said they were informed on March 26, 2025, that Benedict had gone missing during a violent incident the previous day.
This information was initially communicated through a public statement from the Office of the Inspector General via the Director of Corporate Communication and was later formally conveyed to the family by local administrators.
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