UN report reveals Haitian crisis: more than 3,600 deaths from gang violence by 2024

A UN report shows that 3,661 people have been killed by gang violence in Haiti since January 2024, underscoring the escalating crisis.

This grim statistic underlines the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Caribbean country.

Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has fallen under the control of ruthless criminal organizations.

Gangs now dominate up to 90% of the city, leaving residents in constant fear. The violence has become increasingly brutal, with executions carried out in broad daylight.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized the urgency of the situation. “No more lives should be lost to this senseless crime,” he said.

The UN report calls for immediate action from both the Haitian authorities and the international community. The humanitarian toll of this crisis is significant.

In the first half of 2024 alone, around 600,000 people fled their homes to escape the violence.

Kidnappers kidnapped 893 people, including 25 children, and demanded ransoms from desperate families.

Gangs have changed their tactics in 2024 and are using even more brutal methods. Some victims have been mutilated with machetes and burned, with these gruesome acts shared on social media to spread fear.

UN report reveals Haitian crisis: more than 3,600 deaths from gang violence by 2024

Sexual violence has become a weapon used to terrorize and subjugate the population. The roots of Haiti’s chaos stem from years of political instability.

The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 created a power vacuum that gangs have exploited.

These groups have evolved from unstructured entities to violent entrepreneurs with governance capabilities.

International efforts to tackle the crisis have faced significant challenges. In October 2023, the UN Security Council authorized a multinational security support mission led by Kenya.

However, its deployment has faced persistent delays. So far, only 430 of the planned 3,100 troops have arrived in Haiti.

The violence has had devastating consequences for the people of Haiti. An estimated 1.6 million people now face emergency-level food insecurity.

More than 5.5 million Haitians, including 3 million children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Essential services have collapsed in many areas.