The human rights situation in Haiti has plunged to a new low, with gangs expanding their control beyond Port-au-Prince into central regions, committing killings, rapes, and kidnappings, the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said on Friday. A record 1.3 million people are now displaced by ongoing violence.
According to data verified by the UN Human Rights Office, at least 2,680 people were killed between January 1 and May 30, 2025, including 54 children. In addition, 957 others were injured and 316 kidnapped for ransom. Sexual violence and the recruitment of children into gangs are also on the rise.
“Alarming as they are, numbers cannot express the horrors Haitians are being forced to endure on a daily basis,” Türk said. “I am horrified by the ever-increasing spread of gang attacks and other human rights abuses beyond the capital, and deeply concerned by their destabilising impact on other countries in the region.”
He added, “While law enforcement struggles to restore security, mob and self-defence groups are taking the matter into their own hands, leading to even more human rights abuses.”
Since late March 2025, gangs have carried out major attacks in the central commune of Mirebalais, looting police stations and private properties, and freeing over 515 inmates from the local prison.
Violent clashes have intensified in Bas Artibonite, where on May 20, at least 25 people were killed and 10 injured by armed groups, accusing victims of supporting gangs. Some victims were murdered inside a church or their homes, with bodies dragged into the streets and set on fire.
Ten days later, six members of a single family — including four girls aged 2 to 14 — were killed at home in the Pernier neighborhood of Port-au-Prince by three allied gangs. These killings followed intensified police operations and appeared to be random.
Police operations against gangs in the capital have increased, with at least 1,448 people killed during these operations since the start of the year. However, at least 65 people have also been summarily executed by police elements.
Türk emphasized, “Any use of lethal force by law enforcement officers should always be in accordance with human rights law, and abide by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution, and accountability. Those violating the law must be held to account.”
He further stated, “Impunity for human rights violations and corruption are drivers of the long-standing and multi-dimensional crisis facing the country. It is essential that the authorities live up to their agreement to address all crimes, including sexual violence and financial crimes such as corruption. The specialized judicial task forces should be established as soon as possible.”
The High Commissioner urged the international community to act decisively to end the violence, warning, “The coming months will be crucial and will test the international community’s ability to take stronger, more coordinated action — action that will help determine the future stability of Haiti and the wider region.”
Türk called for renewed support for the under-resourced Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and full enforcement of the Security Council’s arms embargo. “No more illegal weapons should be allowed to facilitate the horrors unfolding in Haiti,” he said.
“At this time of untold suffering and fear, I reiterate my call to all States not to forcibly return anyone to Haiti, and to ensure that Haitians who have fled their country are protected against any kind of discrimination and stigmatization,” Türk concluded.
