UN Reports Over 2,300 Killed in Haiti’s Escalating Gang Violence Amid Call for Action

Gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 fatalities and nearly 100 kidnappings in Haiti so far this year, according to the United Nations human rights chief.

UN officials reported that more than 1,100 people have also been injured in the ongoing surge of criminal activity across the Caribbean nation of 12 million inhabitants.

“These staggering numbers reflect a deteriorating crisis that demands immediate international attention,” said Volker Türk, UN high commissioner for human rights. “I urge Haitian authorities to accelerate the establishment of judicial units to address widespread impunity.”

The violence has intensified since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, with armed gangs now controlling large portions of Port-au-Prince and routinely committing acts of killing, rape, looting and kidnapping.

The UN Security Council has approved the deployment of a Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to replace the previous Multinational Mission to Support the Haitian Police, responding to concerns that the earlier mission was under-equipped and under-resourced.

The new force, authorized to deploy up to 5,500 troops and police officers in phases, operates under strict adherence to international human rights law.

Secretary-General António Guterres is set to visit Haiti on Tuesday as a show of solidarity with victims of the ongoing violence, meeting directly with those affected by the attacks.

Source link