In this critical moment, more financing is needed. We need more personnel to maintain and implement the goals of this operation, said Blinken during a rare visit to Haiti on Friday.
Around 400 police officers from Kenya, leading the multinational operation, have tried to tackle the widespread gang criminality in Haiti during the summer. However, they are considered too few and lack the necessary resources, according to assessors.
Kenya originally promised to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti, which the country has not managed to do. Additionally, forces from several African and Caribbean countries were supposed to participate in the operation, which was intended to total 2,500 men.
Blinken saw reason for optimism during his visit.
What I see is enormous resilience and hope has returned, he says.
Haiti's acting Prime Minister Gary Conille also expressed hope, but acknowledged that Haiti is facing an "enormously complex" situation.
If our partners stand by our side and engage with us, we will reach our goals. The progress we have made so far is actually quite remarkable, he says.
The heavily armed gangs took control of parts of Haiti when former Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced out of power. Currently, the gangs control around 80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince.
