Haiti – Progress Toward Peacekeeping Force says Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that progress is being made toward establishing a multinational peacekeeping force for Haiti.

“We’ve been very focused on trying to put in place what’s necessary for a multinational force, including finding a lead nation to take this on,” Blinken said. “My expectation is that we will have some progress to report on that very soon.” The Caribbean nation continues to struggle with insecurity, as gangs control around 80 percent of the Haitian capital, and violent crime is prevalent.

Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Haitian Prime Minister Ariel

Henry have called for an international intervention to help support Haitian police, and the Security Council has asked Guterres to present a report on all possible options, including a UN-led mission, by mid-August.

The State Department this week ordered family of government employees and non-essential personnel to leave Haiti.

“US citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges,” the State Department said.