Canada has committed $60 million to assist Haiti in combatting its bold criminal organizations, with the majority of the funding dependent on the United Nations endorsing a U.S. initiative to transform a police mission into a specialized “gang-suppression force.”
Anita Anand, the Foreign Affairs Minister, unveiled a $20 million allocation for enhancing maritime security in the Caribbean to disrupt the trafficking of weapons and narcotics into and through Haiti. Additionally, $40 million is earmarked to support the Trump administration’s proposal for a gang-suppression force, contingent on UN approval to replace the current UN police mission.
In collaboration with her Haitian counterpart, Anand co-hosted a UN event on Tuesday to address the escalating violent unrest that has gripped Haiti since 2021.
During a session at the House foreign affairs committee, officials were questioned by Members of Parliament regarding the possibility of Canada deploying troops to Haiti under the UN mission. The response emphasized Ottawa’s primary focus on advocating for the U.S. initiative.
The Bloc Québécois is advocating for increased pressure on the U.S. to prevent the influx of American firearms into Haiti, while the Conservatives are expressing concerns about the potential diversion of foreign assistance to Haitian criminal groups.