The Haitian Government has assured citizens that it is mobilising all available resources to regain full control of territories occupied by criminal gangs, while life in the capital is gradually returning to normal.
“The Government is taking steps to restore the city centre to what it once was,” said Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. “The state calls on the entire population to cooperate with the authorities… together, we can ensure security, freedom and dignity for every citizen.” He emphasised that public safety is non-negotiable and that the state will never abandon its citizens.
On Thursday evening, the Office of the Prime Minister released a video on social media showing progress in reclaiming areas seized by gangs, who have challenged the provisional Government since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021. According to the Prime Minister’s office, operations led by the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H) in downtown Port-au-Prince are ongoing and will continue until full state control is restored.
The nearly three-minute video highlights rapid cleanup efforts, including the removal of over 1,000 cubic metres of waste and more than 200 wrecked vehicles. The Ministry of Public Works, in coordination with other state agencies, is repairing roads and restoring infrastructure to allow normal movement of people and vehicles.
Last week, President of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) Laurent Saint-Cyr and Prime Minister Fils-Aimé met with a United Nations delegation led by Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA). Discussions focused on immediate national priorities, including security restoration, humanitarian aid for displaced populations, election preparation, economic recovery, and the resumption of air travel.
“Security remains the essential condition for the resumption of national life and the organisation of free and credible elections,” said President Saint-Cyr. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to combating armed gangs, restoring state authority, and rebuilding public confidence. “Haiti needs increased support from the international community to emerge from this crisis. Gangs will not dictate the future of the country.”
Prime Minister Fils-Aimé highlighted that millions of Haitians remain extremely vulnerable due to insecurity and stressed the importance of channeling aid through the Haitian Government to ensure coordination. On elections, he noted that 87 percent of polling centres have been identified, 70 percent of electoral staff mobilised, and national funding of US$65 million has been secured through a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) managed common fund.
