U.S. government officials are increasingly concerned about the imminent potential collapse of the Haiti National Police, fearing it could occur within hours.

There is growing apprehension that a multinational mission, spearheaded by Kenya and long in the planning stages to provide reinforcements, may prove insufficient to prevent the country from succumbing entirely to gang control.

The outgunned Haitian police find themselves engaged in fierce battles against a united front of gangs, consistently losing crucial firefights.

The looming prospect of a power vacuum and the crumbling of the Haitian government, already met with skepticism from the public, poses a severe threat to the remaining morale within the police forces.

“The government could fall at any time,” a U.S. official told McClatchy, as reported by the Miami Herald. “If the HNP dissolves as an effective counterforce, if we see the airport or the presidential palace fall, it’s over.”

The Biden administration is urgently pushing for the swift implementation of a Multinational Security Support mission (MSS), a plan that has been in progress for over a year and a half.

Kenya, having committed 1,000 police officers to lead the mission last fall, remains a key participant.

However, the current size of the Haiti National Police force falls significantly short of what is deemed necessary, according to a U.S. official.

Despite the commitment of an additional 1,000 well-equipped, well-trained personnel, deployed promptly, it is doubtful that this augmentation alone will suffice to address the crisis’s demands.

Notably, the Biden administration has categorically ruled out the involvement of U.S. forces in the mission, facing staunch opposition from Pentagon leadership against any such deployment.

Written by B.C. Begley