UN Official Highlights Rapid Spread of Gang Violence in Haiti, Calls for Urgent Measures to Protect Youth and Vulnerable Populations

Rampant Gang Violence Displaces 200,000, Doubles Killings and Kidnappings, as an Expected Multinational Armed Force Continues to be Delayed by Legal Challenges

• The rapid spread of gang violence in Haiti has alarmed UN human rights expert, William O’Neill, due to the bleak future awaiting the youth. The violence is reportedly displacing over 200,000 individuals and more than doubling killings and kidnappings compared to the previous year.
• An estimated 200 gangs operate within Haiti, with the most substantial factions controlling up to 80% of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. The scenario has forced Haitians to remain indoors primarily unless they require basic goods.
• Haiti's state needs to assume its responsibilities to prevent human rights abuses and protect its population, especially the most vulnerable. These attacks are mainly on women and girls who have inadequate access to healthcare, often sexually abused by gang members.
• The Haitian National Police, understaffed and under-resourced, is struggling against the gangs. Despite having a population of 11.7 million, only about 4,000 officers are on duty at a given time. The government's expected deployment of a multinational armed force has been held up due to legal challenges.
• In addition to the violence, Haiti is grappling with deepening hunger amid ramping inflation. Experts predict that the nearly half of the population currently starving is expected to increase in the future.

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