Haiti is notorious for its persistent struggles with poverty, gang violence, political instability, and natural disasters.
Human rights crisis in Haiti continues to deteriorate, with at least 1,520 fatalities and 609 injuries due to armed violence from April to June, according to a United Nations report released on Friday. These figures align closely with the first quarter of 2025, which saw 1,617 deaths and 580 injuries.
“Ongoing gang assaults in the Artibonite and Centre regions, as well as in Port-au-Prince, are fueling severe human rights abuses and worsening an already critical humanitarian situation,” said Ulrika Richardson, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti.
The surge in gang violence began after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, destabilizing the capital, where gangs now control roughly 85% of the city, according to UN estimates. Recently, their influence has spread to the Centre and Artibonite regions.
In June alone, 45,000 people were displaced in these two regions, bringing the total number of displaced individuals there to over 240,000, as reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
While security forces have managed to curb gang expansion in the capital between April and June, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) warns that the situation remains highly unstable. Gangs have perpetrated atrocities, including gang rapes, extrajudicial killings, child exploitation, trafficking, and murders, to maintain control over communities.
“Gang members have relied on murders, sexual violence, and abductions to dominate areas under their influence,” BINUH stated.
The UN also notes that gangs are not the sole perpetrators of abuses. Government security forces and local vigilante groups have also committed violations. Of the 1,520 deaths and 609 injuries recorded from April to June, most occurred in Port-au-Prince or the Centre and Artibonite regions, with 24% attributed to gangs. Security operations targeting gangs accounted for 64% of these casualties, including 73 documented summary executions and one-third of deaths linked to explosive drones. Vigilante groups, formed in response to the gangs and the security forces’ inability to contain them, were responsible for 12% of the deaths and injuries.
Haiti’s humanitarian crisis is worsening, with over 1.3 million people displaced and half the population facing food insecurity. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the humanitarian response plan is only 8% funded, urging greater international financial support.
The UN Mission in Haiti has called on the Haitian government, backed by global partners, to intensify efforts against gangs while adhering to human rights standards and regulations on the use of force. (NAN)
