MINUSTAH’s program itself impacted Haiti drastically, serving the country as an aide. However, MINUSTAH had a number of achievements and setbacks that impacted the political and social well being of Haiti. 

Sustainability was a crucial element in the plan to restore Haiti to a functioning country. The United Nations meant to accomplish this through a series of military and police enforcement, hoping to eliminate the threats of coup'te dates and armed gangs. After 8 years of the UN’s military presence in Haiti, political and social violence began to decrease. Peaceful Democratic practices began to evolve, with two violent free presidential handoffs. (International Crisis Group). 

Violence in Haiti however continued to persist in areas that failed to have received proper government enforcement. The graph below indicates the crime rate in Haiti from 2009 -2016, during MINUSTAH’s intervention. 

(theglobaleconomy.com)

When MINUSTAH’s forces left Haiti in 2017, efforts for political, social, and economic stability were diminished. After the efforts contributed by Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and the UN, 80% of Haiti was still in poverty. The Earthquake of 2010 in Haiti left thousands homeless, worsening the situation and making it harder for troops to establish security.

 

 MINUSTAH’s Achievements and Setbacks 

While the involvement of the United Nations grew in Haiti, the violence continuously persisted. MINUSTAH failed to recognize the lack of a functional law enforcement structure in Haiti and had no means to replace their system at a local level. Therefore, urban violence began to persist while the police force in Haiti remained unstable.

(MINUSTAH soldiers standing on the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake)

The 2010 earthquake that engulfed Haiti not only displaced hundreds of families, but also led to the escape of almost 5,000 prisoners. The devastating loss of infrastructure and escapes led to an increased amount of violence in Haiti after the earthquake, leaving MINUSTAH no choice but to rush to restore the Haitian police force. 

“Following the earthquake, the Security Council directed MINUSTAH forces to collaborate with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UNCT in supporting humanitarian and recovery efforts and further encouraged joint planning and coordination at the national and local level. The challenge for the mission was to combine its direct security support with the UNCT’s work and provide relief and recovery while all international actors were pursuing reconstruction of state institutions" (International Crisis Group Page 10).

The earthquake dramatically set back the progress of MINUSTAH and led to a scramble of reconstructing Haiti's institutions. Without the proper support of resources that was needed after the earthquake, Haiti ultimately collapsed at the hands of MINUSTAH, leaving little to no hope for the people of Haiti.