The United Nations says that the U.S. has given notice that it is halting funding to a U.N.-backed mission in Haiti tasked with fighting gangs trying to seize full control of the country’s capital.

A contingent from El Salvador arrived in Haiti on Tuesday to bolster a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to help fight gangs that killed thousands of people last year and control much of the capital. The 70 personnel will provide expertise in air support, which Kenyan officials said will be critical for medical evacuations.

The U.S. government has ordered an immediate stop to its financial contribution to the Multinational Security Mission (MMS) for Haiti, a police support force led by Kenya that remains unformed due to funding shortages.

Heavily armed gangs in Haiti have attacked a neighborhood that’s home to most of the country’s elite and had been largely untouched by criminals

Heavily armed gangs have attacked Haiti's elite neighbourhood of Kenscoff, killing at least 40 people. Despite warnings, police lack resources to repel the assault, which has left over 1,660 homeless.

As Haiti’s crisis deepens, marked by rampant gang violence and political instability, French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the United Nations to consider a peacekeeping mission. Macron met on