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U.N. says proposed support for Haiti would supply logistics and nonlethal aid, not a peacekeeping force
Summary
The U.N. told reporters that a proposed plan to bolster security in Haiti would provide logistical and nonlethal support to the existing multinational security force rather than establish a traditional U.N. peacekeeping operation; the plan must be approved by the U.N. Security Council and a report is expected by February.
The United Nations told reporters Thursday that a proposed plan to strengthen security in Haiti would place the U.N. in a logistical and nonlethal support role for the existing multinational security force (MSS), rather than establishing a traditional U.N. peacekeeping operation.
Steph, a U.N. spokesperson, said, "It will not be a peacekeeping mission," and described the likely structure as modeled on the U.N. support office in Somalia, which provides logistical support, rations, medevacs and other nonlethal assistance to regional forces. She said details remain to be finalized and that the proposal will be submitted to the U.N. Security Council, which must approve any formal mandate change. She added that the Secretary-General is expected to send a report to the council by February.
Why it matters: Thousands of people have recently been displaced in and around Port-au-Prince amid an escalation of armed violence, raising urgent humanitarian and security needs. U.N. humanitarian and coordination agencies have reported outbreaks of violence in the capital and surrounding areas that have forced civilians from their homes and damaged medical infrastructure.
Details from the briefing and U.N. partners provided to reporters included: more than 6,000 people displaced in just over three weeks in and around Port-au-Prince; an ongoing outbreak of violence in the Kentskoff area that has displaced more than 4,000 people since Jan. 27; nearly 2,000 additional displacements recorded since Feb. 14; reports that armed groups set fire to the university hospital in Port-au-Prince; the university had been closed since February of last year because of ongoing attacks; nationally, just 27% of health facilities with beds are fully functional; and an estimated 4,200,000 people will require humanitarian health assistance this year.
On structure and financing: The spokesperson explained that a support office model would likely be funded in part from the U.N. regular budget for the U.N. component that provides logistical support, while the regional or multinational force would continue to rely on voluntary contributions, citing the Somalia precedent. Reporters pressed whether the model would follow UNSOM (the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia) or another arrangement; the spokesperson said the details would be clarified in the forthcoming report and formal proposals to the Security Council.
On legal and policy constraints: The spokesperson reiterated that the Security Council must authorize any change in the U.N.'s operational posture or the establishment of peace operations. When asked whether a traditional peacekeeping operation remained an option, she said the Secretary-General has described that as a measure of last resort and that his position has not changed.
Next steps: The Secretary-General will present a formal report and options to the Security Council; the spokesperson said member states on the council will consider the proposals in a formal process. Further operational details, including mandate language, force composition, financing and timelines, were not specified at the briefing.
Reported remarks and statistics in this article were provided by U.N. spokesperson Steph and U.N. humanitarian coordination agencies and were read into the record during the U.N. briefing session.
