Haiti's Grim Reality: Escalating Gang Violence, Rising Deaths, and Displacements
Haiti faces a grim situation as gang violence escalates, with recent attacks and kidnappings causing deaths and displacements. Meanwhile, the government and international bodies raise concerns over rising human rights abuses and lack of transparency.
On 21 June, Gran Grif gang members launched a deadly assault on Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite, resulting in at least two fatalities and injuries. Reports suggest several civilians, including students, were kidnapped. A fire in Pont-Gaudin, Gonaïves, on 25 June, caused by a fuel tank explosion, claimed more lives, including students on their way to school.
The Haitian National Police (PNH) responded with joint operations in Mirebalais to dismantle gang control. Despite gang attempts to build barricades, SWAT and the Temporary Anti-Gang Unit advanced. However, the use of foreign mercenaries by the Haitian government has been acknowledged but not fully disclosed.
The UN reported a staggering 490% increase in 'grave violations' against children in Haiti between 2023 and 2024, placing it among the world's most dangerous places for children alongside Gaza and Somalia. Human Rights Watch (HRW) also raised concerns about the underfunded and understaffed MSS mission, with violence and human rights abuses continuing to rise.
The family of Benedict Kabiru, a Kenyan officer missing in Haiti since 26 March, is suing the Kenyan government over its silence and lack of transparency regarding his whereabouts. Residents of Mirebalais recently shut down Haiti's main power plant in Port-au-Prince as a protest against government inaction against gangs.
The recent surge in gang violence and human rights abuses in Haiti has left many dead, injured, and displaced. The use of foreign mercenaries by the government and the lack of transparency regarding the whereabouts of missing personnel have raised concerns. International bodies and local residents demand action against gangs and improved transparency from the government.
