On Rare Haiti Trip, Blinken Pledges Aid, Calls for More Support

AFP/APP

Port-au-Prince: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a rare visit to violence-ravaged Haiti on Thursday, heard guarded optimism as he promised $45 million in aid, urged greater international support for a new security mission, and sought concrete action toward elections.

Blinken was the highest-ranking US official in nearly a decade to visit the country, which has been plagued by instability and whose capital has virtually been taken over by criminal gangs.

On Thursday, Blinken promised $45 million in humanitarian aid but voiced concern about the long-term future of a Kenya-led police force tasked with stabilizing Port-au-Prince and beyond.

He said he would convene talks at the United Nations later this month to raise support for the force, which arrived two months ago and is known as the Multinational Security Support Mission.

“At this critical moment, we do need more funding, we do need more personnel, to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission,” he said.

Meeting Blinken, interim Prime Minister Garry Conille acknowledged that Haiti faced an “extremely complex” situation but voiced hope.

“If our partners bear with us, commit to us, we will achieve the goals. Progress we’ve achieved so far is actually quite remarkable,” he said.