The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday extended by six months the mandate of the international Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti, intended to fight powerful armed groups that control much of the country.

Twelve nations voted to renew the mandate and none voted against, while China, Russia and Pakistan abstained, citing concerns over insufficient funds, personnel and efficacy. The extension runs until March 31, 2027.

The force is currently at less than 30 per cent of its intended size. US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said around 1,500 GSF troops are now deployed in Haiti, with the remaining 4,000 expected to arrive in the coming months.

The extension is intended to provide security ahead of Haiti’s first election in a decade on December 13, with final results due on March 7. Successive transitional governments have long delayed elections due to worsening insecurity, which has forced close to 1.5 million people to flee their homes.

The vote came hours after gang members burned homes and killed at least 11 people in what a local mayor said was retaliation for a GSF operation. A month ago, a massacre near the capital left at least 47 people dead and around 50 kidnapped.