The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported on Wednesday that the escalating gang violence in Haiti has reached alarming levels, with over 5,600 reported fatalities in 2024 alone.
This figure represents a significant increase of more than 1,000 deaths compared to the previous year, underscoring the dire security situation in the Caribbean nation. The report further highlighted that 2,212 individuals were injured and 1,494 were kidnapped, reflecting a broader humanitarian crisis that has gripped Haiti for years.
This alarming figure reflects a significant escalation in violence, with many residents caught in the crossfire of territorial disputes among gangs and rampant criminal activity. The violence is primarily concentrated in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs control over 80 percent of the area. This rampant lawlessness has led to severe human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and sexual violence, particularly against women and girls.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described the situation as a series of “absolute horrors,” emphasizing that these statistics fail to fully capture the extent of suffering experienced by the Haitian populace. The report further indicated that 2024 was marked by unprecedented violence, with incidents of lynching and police brutality reported alongside gang-related killings
In recent years, the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 marked a pivotal moment that exacerbated existing tensions. Moïse’s death created a power vacuum that gangs swiftly exploited, leading to increased violence and lawlessness. The political instability that followed allowed gangs like G-Pep and G9 to consolidate their power, controlling significant portions of the capital and engaging in violent turf wars.
Despite calls for assistance, efforts to restore order have been met with skepticism. A proposed Multinational Security Support Mission led by Kenyan police forces aims to stabilize the situation. However, concerns persist regarding its effectiveness and resource allocation. Many Haitians express distrust towards foreign interventions based on past experiences with UN peacekeeping forces that failed to curb violence during their deployments from 1993 to 2017.
As violence continues to escalate, it becomes increasingly critical for both local authorities and international partners to devise effective strategies that address not only immediate security concerns but also the underlying issues that perpetuate this cycle of violence. The path forward will require a concerted effort to restore governance, uphold human rights, and foster socio-economic development within Haiti.
