The Biden administration will provide $110 million in aid to Haiti in order to combat gang violence

Haiti will receive aid of approximately $110 million from the Biden administration.

The Biden administration will help Haiti with security and law enforcement to the tune of around $110 million, despite Republican lawmakers’ months-long block on the funding. Speaking on background, a U.S. State Department official disclosed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived at the conclusion after providing Congress with more than 100 briefings.

“The people of Haiti cannot wait, and the security situation in Haiti remains untenable due to violence perpetrated by violent gangs,” the official stated. The monies consist of $15 million for the Haitian National Police to combat gang violence and $95 million for security mission assistance.

Top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, voiced his displeasure, saying, “It is very disappointing that the Biden Administration chose to override the hold I had placed on U.S. taxpayer funding for the misguided Haiti MSS (Multinational Security Support Mission).” Risch and the Republican head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Michael McCaul, had previously placed “holds” on the money, asking for “a lot more details” before approving them.

The State Department has been in communication with Congress in order to secure permission for the monies, which were considered necessary for the deployment of Kenyan police in Haiti, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced and food supplies have been cut off due to gang violence. The foreign relations committee leaders have the authority to approve or withhold the funding, but in dire circumstances, the administration may override their holds.