The Canadian government announced on Sunday that it had sent a military plane over to Haiti to help with the country's "dire security situation" and to assist in efforts to put a stop to gang activity there.

In response to Haiti's request for assistance as violence in the nation continues to rise, Canada said in a statement that it supports the Haitian National Police and has sent a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft to the country.

Since the murder of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021, Haitian gangs have increased their geographic reach. The ensuing violence has rendered much of the nation inaccessible to the government and resulted in frequent gunfights with police. Next month, when U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visits Canada, Haiti is anticipated to be on the agenda.

The Canadian patrol aircraft will stay in the area "for a number of days," according to the Canadian government, and will provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to support efforts to establish and maintain peace.

The United Nations recommended in October that a "rapid action force" be sent to Haiti to combat the rising violence caused by armed gangs, whose turf wars have resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of displaced people.

Many people, however, have expressed skepticism, citing abuses from earlier missions and doubting a force supporting Prime Minister Ariel Henry's administration, which has been operating without democratically elected officials since early January.

The majority of nations have been reluctant to send troops, but El Salvador has offered "technical assistance," and nearby Jamaica has stated that it would be willing to participate.

According to a January survey, roughly seven out of ten Haitians support the idea of establishing an international force to assist the national police in battling armed gang violence.