In response to a catastrophic security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti, the United Nations Security Council has approved a significant expansion of the international force tasked with combating the nation's powerful armed gangs. The vote comes as gangs consolidate control over nearly all of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the number of internally displaced people soars to a record 1.3 million.
On October 1, 2025, the Security Council authorized enlarging the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to 5,550 personnel and 50 civilians. The revised force now has the authority to arrest suspected gang members, a crucial new power aimed at dislodging the criminal groups that have paralyzed the country. The resolution was adopted with a 12-0 vote, though China, Russia, and Pakistan abstained, citing concerns over the mission’s funding and operational effectiveness.
The international pressure on these gangs was further intensified by the United States, which recently designated Haiti’s dominant gang alliance, Viv Ansanm, as a transnational terrorist organization. The Gran Grif gang, responsible for a massacre of at least 115 people in Pont-Sondé in October 2024, was also included in the designation. This move aims to cripple the gangs’ financial and operational networks by making it a crime to provide them with support.
These measures address a situation that has steadily deteriorated since 2020. The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse created a power vacuum that accelerated social and political instability. By early 2024, gangs controlled over 80% of Port-au-Prince, and the political landscape was thrown into further turmoil with the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in April, leading to the formation of a transitional presidential council.
By the end of 2025, gang control has expanded to an estimated 90% of the capital, with violence spilling into previously peaceful rural and central regions. The human cost has been immense. A United Nations report highlighted that gang violence has displaced a record 1.3 million people, a 24% increase since the end of 2024. Over 230,000 people have been forced from their homes in northern areas of the capital alone. Those displaced often live in unsanitary, makeshift shelters with little to no access to healthcare or clean water. The violence has also become more lethal, with 5,601 murders recorded in 2024, an increase of over 1,000 from the previous year.
In an effort to bolster its own security capacity, the Haitian government is taking steps to revive its national military. As part of an agreement with Mexico, Haiti has dispatched 150 soldiers for a three-month training program, the first contingent of a planned 700-strong force. These soldiers are expected to support the Haitian National Police and work alongside the expanded MSS mission upon their return.
Despite the renewed international and local efforts, significant challenges remain. Critics have noted that the existing Kenyan-led mission has already faced logistical and resource-based difficulties. Concerns persist that the larger force may struggle without sufficient funding and a clear operational framework, raising questions about its ability to effectively challenge the deeply entrenched and heavily armed gangs that continue to terrorize the nation.