UN Missions in Haiti: A Costly and Repetitive Failure

A Succession of Failures Over Three Decades

BOUKAN NEWS, 07/19/2025 – Since 1993, Haiti has been the theater of an uninterrupted succession of UN missions, each promising stability and development, but all ending with the same conclusion of failure. This repetition of international interventions raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness and relevance of the UN approach in Haiti.

 A Damning Statistical Record

The UN has deployed no fewer than *six major missions* in Haiti since 1993:

1. UNMIH- (1993-1996) – United Nations Mission in Haiti

2. UNTMIH – (1997) – United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti

3. UNMIH II – (1997-2000) – International Civilian Mission

4. MINUSTAH- (2004-2017) – Stabilization Mission (13 years)

5. MINUJUSTH – (2017-2019) – Justice Support Mission

6. BINUH – (2019-present) – United Nations Integrated Office

The figures speak for themselves. MINUSTAH alone cost $865.3 million** for the 2010-2011 period, and $575.1 million for the 2008-2009 period. Over its 13 years of existence, the mission cost several billion dollars to international taxpayers. For comparison, the current BINUH mission has an annual budget of $20.4 million for 2020, showing the difference in scale between missions.

 A Bloated Staff Without Impact

MINUSTAH counted at its peak 2,366 military personnel and 2,533 police officers, supported by international and local civilian staff. This army of international officials failed to prevent the progressive deterioration of the country’s security situation.

The assessment is unequivocal: “Its missions have produced interesting results in the short term, but in the long term, all have failed.” This statement perfectly summarizes thirty years of UN interventions in Haiti.

 Resolutions Without Substance

The UN Security Council has adopted dozens of resolutions concerning Haiti since 1993. Each resolution promised improvement of the situation, but none produced lasting change. Security Council Resolution 1542 established MINUSTAH on June 1, 2004, but thirteen years later, the mission ended in blatant failure.

 Scandals and Controversies

One of MINUSTAH’s most tragic “successes” was the introduction of cholera to Haiti in 2010 by Nepalese peacekeepers. According to official United Nations data, this epidemic caused more than 9,000 deaths** and infected nearly 800,000 Haitians. Scientific studies confirmed the Nepalese origin of this epidemic, with *more than 500,000 governmentally recognized cases* and *more than 7,000 deaths* according to scientific publications, the actual toll being probably much higher.

 Violence and Abuse

Witnesses report that Brazilian soldiers from the UN military mission opened fire on civilians, and numerous cases of sexual abuse committed by peacekeepers have been documented. The UN has systematically attempted to cover up these incidents.

The Structural Ineffectiveness of the System

 A Paternalistic and Neocolonial Approach

UN missions in Haiti reflect a paternalistic approach where solutions are imposed from outside without genuine understanding of local realities. “The resolution of the crisis is in the hands of the Haitians themselves,” the UN belatedly acknowledges, but paradoxically continues to maintain its presence.

Each mission has received different and often contradictory mandates: peacekeeping, stabilization, justice support, economic development. This confusion of objectives partly explains the systematic failure of these interventions.

In 2024, Special Representative Helen La Lime declared that the country is going through “one of the most difficult periods in its recent history.” This statement, after three decades of UN presence, constitutes a resounding admission of failure.

BINUH, the current mission, has no peacekeeping mandate and merely plays the role of a powerless observer facing the rise of armed gangs that now control more than 60% of the national territory.

 Towards a Haiti Without UN Mission: A Necessity

 Autonomy as the Only Solution

History demonstrates that only Haitians can solve their problems. The independence of 1804 was not achieved through an international mission, but through the determination of the Haitian people. The 1946 revolution that ousted the dictatorship did not require foreign intervention.

The rare moments of stability and progress in Haiti occurred when the country was able to develop its own solutions: periods of relative prosperity under certain democratically elected governments, before systematic intervention by the international community.

 An Economy Hindered by Dependency

International aid and UN missions have created a dependency economy that hinders endogenous development. The billions spent maintaining international bureaucracies could have financed sustainable development projects managed by Haitians themselves.

 Conclusion: Time for Withdrawal

After more than three decades of repeated failures, it is time to recognize that UN missions in Haiti have not only failed, but have also contributed to perpetuating the country’s instability. The billions of wasted dollars, repeated scandals, and the continuous worsening of the situation testify to the fundamental ineffectiveness of this approach.

The real help that the international community can provide to Haiti is not yet another UN mission, but respect for its sovereignty and support for Haitian solutions developed by and for Haitians. It is time for the UN to admit its failure and finally let the Haitian people take control of their destiny.

History will judge harshly this long period of disguised occupation that will have cost dearly in human lives and resources, while depriving Haiti of the possibility of developing its own crisis resolution capacities. The withdrawal of UN missions is not only desirable, it has become a necessity to allow Haiti to regain its dignity and capacity for action.

1. *UN Mission Budgets*: United Nations, Fifth Committee, “MINUSTAH Annual Budget Proposal” (2010-2011) – $865.3 million; Budget period 2008-2009 – $575.1 million

2. *BINUH Budget*: United Nations, Fifth Committee, “Budget proposal for Special Political Mission in Haiti” (2020) – $20.4 million

3. *Cholera Epidemic*: United Nations, “2010s Haiti cholera outbreak” – 9,000+ deaths, 800,000 infected

4. *Scientific Studies*: “Nepalese origin of cholera epidemic in Haiti”, studies published in PubMed and ScienceDirect – 500,000+ governmentally recognized cases, 7,000+ deaths

5. *NPR Data*: “Haiti’s Cholera Outbreak Tied To Nepalese U.N. Peacekeepers” (2013) – 8,000 deaths at the time of the study