U.S. military planes have begun landing in Haiti as a multinational effort to quell violence in the country gathers pace after months of paralysis, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The force, which will be led by Kenya, will also have forces from six other nations. The U.S. has already sent civilian contractors to secure the airport before building a base of operations and supplies.
"The deployment of the multinational security support mission in Haiti is urgent, and we're doing all we can to advance that goal," Brian A. Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said last week.
"Every day that goes by is a lost opportunity to provide greater security for the Haitian people. And that's why we're doing everything we can, along with our Kenyan partners to advance that," he added.
The UN approved the mission seven months ago, but efforts were stalled as Kenya faced situations of infighting that prevented it from leading the operation on the ground.
Local officials say the hurdles have been cleared and 1,000 police officers will be able to lead a multinational force comprised by personnel from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica, according to the UN.
National police has already drawn up plans and timetables to take back control from the gangs, but the New York Times also reported that countries so far have sent just a fraction of the $600 million the operation is estimated to cost.
In the meantime, the country's recently-appointed transitional council attempts to solidify its position after a chaotic start that saw them backtrack on a prime minister announcement.
A block within the council that had announced the selection of former Sports Minister Fritz Bélizaire last week agreed to withdraw his appointment and go back to electing a candidate from a list of approved candidates.
The streets of Haiti continue to be engulfed in chaos, with new attacks by organized gangs last week. The attacks sparked Wednesday late evening in areas like Solino and Delmas 18, 20 and 24 located southwest of the main international airport, pushing many people to leave the areas.
Over 350,000 people have had to leave their homes and millions are unable to conduct their daily lives amid daily violence on the streets. Gangs are estimated to control about 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Natural phenomena have compounded to the situation, as heavy rains in the country have so far caused 17 deaths and flooded almost 5,000 homes, according to the country's Civil Protection authorities. Most of the chaos has taken place in the country's largest city, Cap Haïtien.
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