In what is being hailed as an historic first, the UN Security Council on Monday authorized the deployment of an international security force to help Haiti's national police quell surging gang violence and restore security across the strife-torn Caribbean nation.

The mission was requested by the Haitian Government and civil society representatives, following months of chaos and steadily worsening conditions affecting civilians. There have been more than 3,000 homicides reported this year, and over 1,500 instances of kidnapping for ransom.