Canada announced the provision of 80.5 million dollars to the multinational security mission led by Kenya in Haiti, where police forces are exerting themselves beyond their capacity to confront gang violence.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced this financial aid today from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro during a Haiti support event on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting.

In addition to the aforementioned financial aid, Minister Joly announced the allocation of 42.5 million dollars, from previously announced funding, for projects addressing the most urgent problems, including 27 million dollars to purchase protective equipment, vehicles, and communication equipment for the Haitian National Police.

Canada believes in Haitian-led solutions to the political and security crises, as well as humanitarian crises, and remains committed to working with Kenya and other international partners to support the successful deployment of the multinational security mission, ensuring that our efforts are mutually enhanced.

Also in Rio de Janeiro, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken worked to rally partner countries to send the long-awaited multinational police force to Haiti, which is plagued by violence and suffering from a severe political and humanitarian crisis.

"The success of this mission depends on securing the international contributions that Haiti needs," Blinken said, adding that "improving the security situation serves the collective interest," explaining that the United States intends to contribute 200 million U.S. dollars to this force.

In early October, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2699 to form this Kenya-led multinational security support force to help Haiti confront gang violence.

But a court in the Kenyan capital Nairobi prevented, in late January, the deployment of 1,000 Kenyan police officers that had been planned. The Kenyan government announced it would appeal this decision.

Meanwhile, the Haitian government confirmed it remains optimistic.

Moreover, everything still needs to be done to establish this police force, from funding to developing an operational plan. It must also be reinforced, as the latest estimates indicate the need for a security force of at least 2,500 personnel.

In addition to Canada and the United States, Benin, France, Germany, and Jamaica also announced financial or personnel contributions during the Haiti support meeting.

According to the United Nations, January was the most violent month in Haiti in over two years.

In 2023, nearly 5,000 people were killed in Haiti, including 2,700 civilians who fell victim to increasingly violent gangs.