President Joe Biden has approved an emergency assistance package for Haitian security forces to help them protect civilians and critical infrastructure against organized and targeted gang attacks.
The U.S. assistance package for up to $10 million, which draws from excess Department of Homeland Security stocks, may include weapons, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and helmets.
This was announced by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“Our support is intended to help Haitians restore security, order, and the rule of law and protect civilians, while at the same time remaining committed to supporting Haitian-led effort for a peaceful transition of power,” she told reporters.
Haiti’s capital city Port au Prince remains under the control of coordinated machete and gun-wielding gangs.
More than 2,500 people were killed, kidnapped or injured in weeks-long violence in the Caribbean island nation, where sexual violence is rampant.
An alarming surge in armed violence in areas of Haiti is heightening the risk of a malnutrition crisis in the country, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
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