15 US lawmakers demand urgent action to address Haiti security crisis
Key Points(5)
- Lawmakers cited distressing reports from <a href="https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/msf-warns-trauma-hospital-in-haiti-nears-capacity-as-violence-surges/">healthcare workers</a> describing armed gangs completely overtaking their campus.
- Homes were looted, furniture destroyed, and medical facilities ransacked.
- Critical supplies, including medications and newly installed equipment like X-ray and sonogram machines, were stolen.
- In one particularly disturbing account, two homes built for displaced families were burned down.
- One church member who fled to Cange said she was considering returning to the gang-held zone, believing it may offer more stability—even if it means living under the gangs’ guns in exchange for shelter and occasional food.
A bipartisan group of 15 lawmakers sent a letter this month to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing urgent concerns over the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Haiti, where violent gangs now control the majority of the capital and are expanding into new regions.
“We write to convey our grave concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Haiti,” the lawmakers stated, “as missionaries, humanitarian aid workers, and countless innocent civilians face deadly threats from criminal gangs that have overrun major urban centers.”
According to the letter, gangs—including the Viv Ansanm coalition—now control over 85% of Port-au-Prince and are pushing into previously stable areas such as Cange, Pignon, and Jérémie. Lawmakers cited distressing reports from healthcare workers describing armed gangs completely overtaking their campus. Homes were looted, furniture destroyed, and medical facilities ransacked. Critical supplies, including medications and newly installed equipment like X-ray and sonogram machines, were stolen. In one particularly disturbing account, two homes built for displaced families were burned down.
One church member who fled to Cange said she was considering returning to the gang-held zone, believing it may offer more stability—even if it means living under the gangs’ guns in exchange for shelter and occasional food.
The lawmakers emphasized the scale of the crisis, noting that more than one million Haitians have been displaced due to gang violence. They called for enhanced protection and emergency resources for American citizens and humanitarian workers in Haiti, and urged continued coordination with the Haitian Transitional Presidential Council, Haitian National Police, and the UN Multinational Security Support Mission.
The letter also pushed for urgent action to disrupt the flow of illicit arms and financial support to gang leaders.
“Haiti is on the verge of collapse with violent gangs controlling the center of Port-au-Prince just blocks away from the National Palace. It is time for the United States to take a real leadership role in addressing the crisis with hard security solutions capable of stopping the gangs’ advance and restoring peace to Haiti,” said Congresswoman Maria Salazar (FL-27).
“The United States has an important responsibility to act decisively to mitigate this humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti. We must enhance protective measures for our citizens and humanitarian workers while working with local authorities to restore peace and stability,” said Representative Rich McCormick (GA-07).
“Failure to address Haiti’s gang crisis risks a point of no return. I thank Representative McCormick for working with me in this bipartisan call for action. Our letter urges the administration to present a clear strategy to restore order, hold perpetrators accountable, resume aid, and return Haiti to the Haitian people,” said Representative Gregory Meeks (NY-05).
“Haiti continues to confront a dire political, security, and humanitarian crisis that has caused unimaginable amounts of human suffering. To prevent the situation from deteriorating any further, I am joining my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling on the U.S. Department of State to respond immediately. A long-term solution to this crisis means that we must crack down on violent gangs and the elites who fund them, while simultaneously curtailing the flow of illicit firearms,” said Haitian-American Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20).
"The Haitian people are enduring a vicious cycle of horrific violence at the hands of brutal gangs. The U.S. must urgently support efforts to restore stability, protect women and girls from harm, and uphold human rights. I remain committed to working with bipartisan colleagues to equip Haiti's security forces to protect civilians—and to cut off the illicit flow of American weapons to the criminal organizations threatening their safety,” said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).
The letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio was signed by a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, including Representatives Rich McCormick, Gregory W. Meeks, María Elvira Salazar, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Sarah McBride, Wesley Bell, Michael V. Lawler, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Cory Mills, Lois Frankel, James P. McGovern, Joaquin Castro, William R. Keating, Jonathan L. Jackson, and Gabe Amo.
