The Future of Haiti

Haiti has been reeling since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 deepened a constitutional crisis and led to an explosion in gang violence. Armed groups now control most of Port-au-Prince, the capital, and more than a million Haitians have fled their homes in search of neighborhoods still in government hands. International actors, including the United States, Caribbean governments, and the United Nations, have sought to stop the spiraling violence and give Haitians an opportunity to choose their leaders for the first time since 2016. Last April, Haiti established a Transitional Presidential Council to rule the country until elections later this year. The next month, a Multinational Security Support Mission, approved by the UN Security Council and largely staffed by Kenya, began its deployment. Has the international response meaningfully improved security in Haiti? Has the Transitional Presidential Council helped bridge political divisions? What other international support is needed to prepare Haiti for elections? How have changes to US policy, including a freeze on most foreign assistance, impacted the crisis in Haiti?