Canada has committed $60 million to assist Haiti in combating its rampant gangs, with a large portion of the funding dependent on United Nations endorsement of an American initiative to transform a police mission into a “gang-suppression force.” Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has disclosed $20 million allocated for enhancing maritime security in the Caribbean to halt the trafficking of arms and narcotics in and through Haiti. Additionally, $40 million is designated to back the Trump administration’s proposition for a gang-suppression force that would supplant the current UN police mission, contingent upon UN support for the proposal.
Anand recently co-hosted an event at the UN with her Haitian counterpart, focusing on addressing the violent turmoil that has engulfed Haiti since 2021. During a session at the House foreign affairs committee, officials were questioned by MPs about the possibility of Canadian troop deployment to Haiti under the UN mission, to which the response emphasized Ottawa’s emphasis on advocating for the American plan.
The Bloc Québécois has expressed the need for increased pressure on the U.S. to prevent American firearms from entering Haiti, while the Conservatives have voiced concerns about the potential diversion of foreign aid to Haitian criminal groups.
