With just days left before its mandate expires, the United Nations has voiced deep concern over the worsening security situation in Haiti, warning that gains made by the international peace mission could unravel without sustained global support.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning, noting that the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, while impactful, may struggle to maintain momentum due to limited resources and logistical setbacks. His concern was echoed by Miroslav Jenča, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, who painted a grim picture of life in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Jenča described a near-total collapse of state authority, with over 85 percent of the capital reportedly under gang control including vital government installations. “We’ve seen the rule of law steadily erode. The capital is suffocating under the grip of armed gangs. Entire neighborhoods are unreachable, and the suspension of international commercial flights has deepened the city’s isolation,” he said.
According to Jenča, the gangs have solidified their presence across all communes of the metropolitan area, pushing the fragile nation to the edge of total breakdown. “The situation is no longer just a security threat it’s a humanitarian and political emergency,” he added.
But not everyone within the UN shares the same level of pessimism.
Kenya’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Yabesh Monari, offered a more hopeful perspective, crediting the MSS mission with significant wins against criminal groups. He said that since the mission’s deployment, there had been clear signs of progress including the restoration of control over key infrastructure such as hospitals, the presidential palace, the main seaport, and even the international airport.
“We now have a functioning government, reopened hospitals, and security restored to key national assets,” Monari said, pushing back against claims that the mission had failed to dent the power of Haiti’s gangs.
The debate over the mission’s effectiveness comes just a week after the MSS marked its first anniversary on June 27, 2025. At the ceremony, MSS Commander Godfrey Otunge issued a stern message to Haiti’s criminal networks, vowing that their days of unchecked violence were numbered.
Otunge also announced plans to establish Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in gang-dominated zones of Port-au-Prince. These bases will serve as critical hubs for operations aimed at reclaiming territory, restoring law and order, and offering hope to communities long abandoned by the state.
As the mandate’s expiration date looms, the UN now faces a crossroads: whether to renew and expand the mission or risk watching Haiti descend further into chaos.
