On Monday, Kenya and the Dominican Republic formalized an agreement aimed at enhancing support for the Kenyan police forces stationed in Haiti.
The agreement, signed by Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez and Kenya’s First Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, will provide medical assistance and repatriation support for Kenyan officers in emergency situations.
This initiative is designed to facilitate the evacuation of Kenyan police involved in a UN-supported multinational security operation, whether they are injured or deceased.
The Haitian National Police, which is supported by a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan forces, has faced significant challenges in combating gang violence, as the mission is currently underfunded and lacks adequate personnel, with only 1,000 of the planned 2,500 officers deployed.
Kenyan police have frequently been targeted, resulting in several casualties.
Gangs controlling approximately 85% of Port-au-Prince have recently intensified their attacks on areas previously considered safe, which police and armed community members are striving to defend.
Last year, gang violence in Haiti resulted in over 5,600 fatalities, leaving more than one million individuals displaced.
In just February and March, the U.N. reported 1,086 deaths and 383 injuries due to this violence.
