UN warns of worsening crisis in Haiti as gang violence surges past 2,000 deaths this year
Key Points(5)
- Haiti has been plagued by worsening gang violence since the 2021 assassination of its then-President Jovenel Moïse.
- Gang violence has killed at least 2,300 people in Haiti this year, while nearly 100 have been kidnapped, the United Nations said on Monday.
- ADVERTISEMENT UN human rights chief Volker Türk called on the authorities to tackle the rampant impunity in the crisis-ravaged Caribbean nation of 12 million people.
- Haiti has been plagued by worsening gang violence since the 2021 assassination of its then-President Jovenel Moïse.
- Armed gangs now control most of Port-au-Prince and regularly carry out killings, rapes, looting and kidnappings.
Haiti’s security crisis continues to deepen, with at least 2,300 people killed and nearly 100 kidnapped so far this year amid escalating gang violence, according to figures presented by the United Nations on Monday.
The update was delivered by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during the opening of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where he called on Haitian authorities to urgently confront entrenched impunity and restore rule of law in the Caribbean nation.
“In Haiti, gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings since the start of the year,” Türk said, urging faster action to activate judicial mechanisms aimed at addressing the crisis.
Haiti, a nation of roughly 12 million people, has been in turmoil since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, a turning point that accelerated the collapse of state authority in several regions.
Armed gangs now control large portions of Port-au-Prince and have been linked to widespread killings, sexual violence, looting and kidnappings, according to UN assessments.
Türk also emphasized the need for the planned Gang Suppression Force (GSF), describing it as urgent and insisting it must operate in full compliance with international human rights standards. The force is intended to gradually replace the current Multinational Mission to Support the Haitian Police (MMAS), which was deployed with limited capacity.
The UN Security Council approved the creation of the GSF last year at the urging of the United States, amid concerns that the existing mission was under-resourced. The new operation is expected to deploy in phases, with up to 5,500 troops and police officers authorized under the council’s mandate.
The Human Rights Council, made up of 47 member states, meets three times a year in Geneva. The current session runs through July 7.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to visit Haiti on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with victims of gang violence. According to his spokesperson, Farhan Haq, the visit will include meetings with residents directly affected by the violence.
“It will be a solidarity visit, during which he will meet men, women and children whose lives have been affected by violence,” Haq said
