Funds Halted For Kenya-Led International Mission In Haiti As Part Of Trump's Freeze On Foreign Aid

President Donald Trump's freeze on foreign aid includes support for the Kenya-led international mission to Haiti, which seeks to help local troops fight the gangs that have taken over most of the capital and continue to wreak havoc across the country.

The Miami Herald reported on Wednesday that the 90-day halt on foreign assistance includes $15 million for the Multinational Security Support mission, whose members claim efforts are already widely underfunded even counting money from the U.S. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in late January, even before the freezing was announced, that the city could be completely overrun without further international support.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his visit to Latin America over the past days that the decision answers to the need to "review those programs." He highlighted that there is a waiver for humanitarian programs, including those providing medications for diseases like HIV/AIDS.

However, support for the military operation has indeed been halted despite Rubio signaling support for the mission during his confirmation hearing. The outlet detailing that police advisers hired by the U.S. government to assist Haitian police and the international mission were laid off until further notice. Advisers from Canada also departed Port-au-Prince due to the cuts.

The mission finds itself in shakier ground as gangs continue to make advancements. The neighborhood where most of Haiti's elite lives, Kenscoff, is currently under attack by gangs, adding to the fears that the entire capital could fall.

Mayor Jean Massillon told The Associated Press that the attack has been going on for over a week now, and that the neighborhood is currently surrounded. He added that gang members are going from home to home, opening fire indiscriminately.

At least 40 people have reportedly been killed during the attacks. Many victims are people who work in the neighborhood, mostly tending crops on its outskirts. However, authorities expect more as they haven't been able to reach certain areas where politicians and business leaders live.

A police union said the attack could have been avoided if officers "had good equipment." "Despite these bad conditions, our policemen are making tireless sacrifices, but we cannot tolerate the negligence of the authorities on what must be done to protect their lives and the safety of the population," SPNH-17 said in a statement.

The attack is mostly blamed on Viv Ansanm, a coalition of gangs that controls large swaths of the capital and is seeking to become a political party, a bid to gain legitimacy to play a role in the rebuilding of the country.