The UN warns of a catastrophic situation in violence-ridden Haiti / Article

A new UN report notes that “corruption, impunity and poor governance, compounded by rising levels of gang violence, have undermined the rule of law and brought state institutions (..) close to collapse.”

The violence in Haiti erupted in late February when Prime Minister Ariel Henri traveled to Kenya in hopes of securing the deployment of UN-backed security forces to Haiti. At that time, gangs launched attacks on state institutions in Port-au-Prince in an effort to oust Henri. Bandits also broke into Port-au-Prince prisons, from which thousands of prisoners escaped.

Giving in to the rebels’ demands, Henri agreed to resign and make way for a transitional administration. However, the plans for a new transitional government have not yet been implemented, and preparations for the elections, which would be the first since 2016, have not started either.

According to the UN, armed gangs controlled 80% of Haiti’s capital even before the unrest.

According to the UN, in 2023 gang violence in Haiti killed 4,451 people and injured another 1,668. Meanwhile, in the first three months of this year, up to March 22, 1,554 people were killed and 826 injured, the office said.

The report says sexual violence is widespread in Haiti, including women being forced to have sex with gang members, hostage-taking and women being raped after their husbands are killed in front of them. The report also highlights the recruitment and abuse of children, both boys and girls, into gangs.

The UN report also mentions the so-called self-defense brigades, which have been set up to combat rising gang violence. In this context, at least 528 lynchings were reported last year and 59 reported this year.

Despite an international arms embargo, weapons and ammunition continue to flow into Haiti, a UN report has concluded.

It called for stronger national and international controls to stop the flow of weapons and ammunition into the conflict-torn country.

“It is shocking that despite the appalling situation on the ground, arms are still flowing in,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, calling for more effective implementation of the arms embargo.