The United States has frozen its financial contributions to a United Nations fund for a multinational security support mission in Haiti, a UN spokesperson has said.

The UN reported on Tuesday February 4, 2025 that the move would stop $13.3 million funding to the Kenya-led security mission in Haiti.

“We received an official notification from the US asking for an immediate stop work order on their contribution to the trust fund for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission,” said Stephane Dujarric, the UN secretary-general’s spokesperson.

The UN Security Council in October 2023 recommended the formation of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to support Haiti’s authorities in their fight against criminal gangs.

This comes as part of newly elected President Donald Trump’s push to slash US aid, a drive that has included an effort to shutter the operations of the government’s main aid agency, USAID.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in January 2025 warned that Haiti’s capital could become overrun by gangs if the international community does not step up aid to the security mission.

According to Guterres, more money, equipment and personnel are needed for the international force in Haiti.

Speaking recently at a UN Security Council meeting, Haiti’s Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste said that the country faced major difficulties that threaten not just the population but also the survival of the State.

MSS is not a UN force, but the UN has set up a voluntary fund to finance it, which has raised $110 million to date, an amount that has been deemed as insufficient.

Only 800 security personnel including Kenya’s 600 soldiers have been deployed to Haiti, although the UN had expected 2,500 security personnel. Initially, the Kenyan government had pledged to send 1000 police officers to Haiti.

However, during President Joe Biden’s regime, the United States contributed over $300 million in funds and equipment directly to the MSS, including dozens of armored vehicles.