Haiti: U.S. Military Aircraft Offloaded 835 Tons of Cargo

May 16, 2024 Hour: 8:24 pm

On Thursday, the US, so far, unloaded 835 tons of cargo in Haiti, where the northern country is now the outpost of an international military contingent that will help local police fight gangs.

Related:

Haiti: Concern Over Unaccompanied Children Deported from DR

A total of 32 large aircraft landed at Toussaint Louverture international airport during the day and at night. The airfield has been closed to civil aviation since 4 March due to insecurity generated by armed gangs.

Local media reported that Washington successfully landed 21 military aircraft last week, and more than 100 aircraft from the Air Force and leased by the US State Department are expected to arrive.

In this context, the Haitian National Police (HNP) could be receiving reinforcements from foreign troops as early as 26 May.

All is set for Kenyan troops to land in Haiti, officials aware of the deployment said.

The first team of about 200 to be sent to the Caribbean nation was told at the weekend to be on standby for departure before President William Ruto lands in the US for a state visit.

This… pic.twitter.com/JnPW7qZvDo

— TheStarKenya (@TheStarKenya)
May 15, 2024

So far, seven countries from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean have indicated their willingness to provide men for the Multinational Security Support Mission to be deployed in Haiti.

These countries are Kenya – which offered to lead the operations – Benin and Chad among the Africans; Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados among the Caribbean countries, as well as Bangladesh. Suriname recently announced that it will send a group of troops to Haiti.

Among the nations mentioned, Chad and Bangladesh have experience in international peacekeeping deployments, but the UN has always made it clear that the task now will be to support the HNP in the fight against armed gangs.

Of the $300 million pledged for this effort, the US pledged $120 million and has only raised less than $20 million.

The UN urged member states to be more generous and fill the gap to meet all needs.

According to a senior official in US President Joe Biden’s administration, the cost of the intervention mission in Haiti is between 515 and 600 million dollars over two years, without taking into account the needs on the ground.

According to some media reports, Washington is considered to be to blame for the economic, political and social chaos in the Caribbean country, which it intervened militarily in 1915 and supposedly abandoned in 1934.

Most of the arms and ammunition used by the gang members who are martyring the population come from the United States.