US to give Haiti over Sh14bn in security aidThe Biden administration will award nearly $110 million (Sh14.3 billion) in security and police assistance to Haiti, a U.S. State Department official told Reuters, a move that bypasses a months-long hold on the funds by Republican lawmakers. The official, speaking on background, said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the decision following more than 100 briefings to Congress by the State Department and that the Biden administration remained committed to working in “close consultation” with that body. “The security situation in Haiti remains untenable due to violence perpetrated by violent gangs, and the people of Haiti cannot wait,” the official said. The funds include $95 million (Sh12.35 billion) for security mission support and $15 million (Sh1.96 billion) to the Haitian National Police to counter gang violence. Risch and Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said in March they had put “holds” on funds to Haiti because they needed “a lot more details” before approving them.

Source: Daily Nation June 21, 2024 08:15 UTC