Over, 3600 killed this year in Haiti violence- UN

The United Nations reported on Friday that over 3,600 fatalities have occurred this year due to rampant gang violence in Haiti, described as “senseless” by officials.

Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, is experiencing a state of near-total chaos, with gangs asserting control over the capital, Port-au-Prince, leading to the collapse of both security and health services.

In the first half of 2024 alone, approximately 600,000 individuals were displaced, while 1,280 sustained injuries from gang-related violence, including 295 women and 63 children, according to a report from the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). During this period, criminal organizations kidnapped at least 893 people for ransom, including 25 children, capitalizing on a power vacuum created by ongoing political instability and weakened governmental authority.

The OHCHR indicated that at least 3,661 people have been killed since the beginning of the year, reflecting the persistent high levels of violence that characterized 2023. “No more lives should be lost to this senseless criminality,” stated Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The report calls on Haitian authorities and the international community to enhance protective measures for the island’s residents. It noted a shift in gang tactics this year, with victims sometimes shot at random or executed in broad daylight for allegedly cooperating with law enforcement or opposing gang activities.

Some victims suffered gruesome fates, including mutilation and burning, with gangs broadcasting these acts on social media to instill fear and exert control over the populace. The report also highlighted the use of sexual violence by gangs as a means to intimidate and dominate communities.

Additionally, at least 860 individuals were killed and 393 injured during police operations in Port-au-Prince, raising concerns about the use of excessive force, including the deaths of at least 36 children. The gangs have increasingly recruited children into their ranks.

Currently, about 1.6 million people in Haiti are facing emergency-level food insecurity. In response to the crisis, the UN Security Council approved a multinational stabilization force led by Kenya in October 2023 to support Haitian police efforts. Kenyan President William Ruto announced at the UN General Assembly that his country aims to complete the deployment of the 2,500-member Multinational Security Support Mission by January.