US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says a Kenya-led, international security mission to Haiti could deploy “in months”.

He is now urging the United Nations Security Council to authorize the deployment as soon as possible.

Speaking on Friday morning at a start of a UN meeting in New York, Mr Blinken said the US would supply “robust financial and logistical assistance” to the proposed mission.

According to Al Jazeera, Mr Blinken said, “We urge the international community to pledge additional personnel, as well as equipment, logistics, training and funding. We cannot be successful without these contributions. And we strongly urge the Security Council to pass a resolution to authorise this mission … The United States is working with Ecuador to put forward a text. With our support, this mission can deploy within months, and we really have no time to lose.”

Haiti has seen a surge in gang violence over the past several years, with armed confrontations displacing residents and disrupting access to health care and other services.