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Haitian Gangs Control 90% of Capital, Encroach on Southern and Eastern Regions

An underfunded Kenyan-backed UN force remains stalled in its efforts to counter gangs’ parallel governance.

Security guards stand watch as Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, center, talks with the Mexico's Charge d'Affaires Jesus Cisneros after attending an event marking one year since the start of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian army soldiers patrol during a protest against insecurity in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on April 16.

Overview

  • Gangs now wield control over an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince and have launched attacks on police and customs posts in southern and eastern areas, including Belladere and Malpasse.
  • Militias have established parallel governance by providing limited public services in place of the state and blocking major trade routes, causing prices for cooking fuel and rice to spike.
  • The UN-backed Kenyan mission has deployed roughly 1,000 personnel out of an envisioned 2,500 due to chronic underfunding and lack of political support.
  • United Nations officials report a rise in gang-committed sexual violence with 364 documented incidents from March to April, alongside at least 101 vigilante killings of suspected gang affiliates and 281 summary executions by police units in 2024.
  • UN experts warn that without increased international support, Haiti risks complete state collapse as criminal networks consolidate power.