On October 15, in response to a request for international assistance from the Haitian government, a U.S. Air Force C-17, based at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, transported vital security equipment, including tactical and armored vehicles, purchased by the Haitian National Police (HNP) from Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario, Canada, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The delivery of the vital equipment was part of a joint operation involving U.S. Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft.
The delivered equipment will help the HNP ensure access to vital resources and infrastructure urgently needed in Haiti to respond to a public-health crisis following a recent rise of cholera cases in the country.
The October 15 U.S. Air Force transport mission comes three days after U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Andrew Croft, military deputy commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), accompanied U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nichols, to Port-au-Prince. Nichols led a U.S. interagency delegation on a two-day visit to the Caribbean nation, where they met with Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the Montana Group, private sector leaders, and broader civil society groups. They assessed how the U.S. government can continue providing various forms of assistance aimed at helping the country improve security and respond to the growing humanitarian crisis.
Together with the Haitian government, the United States and Canada affirm the importance of working together to support the restoration of security in Haiti in partnership with the international community.