A report published today by the UN Human Rights Office has sounded the alarm on the urgent need for immediate and bold action to address the “cataclysmic” situation unfolding in Haiti.
The report highlights how corruption, impunity, and poor governance, compounded by escalating levels of gang violence, have pushed state institutions in Haiti to the brink of collapse. The dire impact of widespread insecurity on the population has left them severely deprived of their basic human rights.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressed the critical need to prioritize tackling insecurity to protect the population and prevent further human suffering. Equally important is the protection of institutions crucial to upholding the rule of law, which have faced severe attacks.
Covering the period from September 25, 2023, to February 29, 2024, the report draws on information provided by the Human Rights Service of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and findings from William O’Neill, Designated Expert of the High Commissioner on the situation of Human Rights in Haiti.
The report reveals alarming statistics, indicating a significant increase in the number of people killed and injured due to gang violence. In 2023, 4,451 individuals were killed, and 1,668 were injured. The figures continued to soar in the first three months of 2024, with 1,554 killed and 826 injured up to March 22.
Gangs have resorted to using sexual violence as a means to terrorize, punish, and exert control over the population. Women, particularly, have been subjected to rape during gang assaults on neighborhoods, often witnessing the brutal killings of their husbands.
Moreover, gangs are known to exploit women through coercive sexual relationships and use the rape of hostages as leverage to extort ransom payments. Despite the severity of sexual violence, it remains vastly underreported and largely unpunished.
Children, both boys and girls, are also at risk, as gangs recruit and exploit them, leaving them trapped in a cycle of violence with no means of escape. Gang-imposed restrictions on the movement of people, goods, and services further disrupt daily life, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis gripping Haiti.
