The situation in Haiti is ” cataclysmic “with 1,554 killed during the first three months of 2024, the United Nations (UN) alerted on Thursday March 28.
“It is shocking that despite the horror of the situation on the ground, weapons continue to flow. I call for more effective implementation of the arms embargo”said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in presenting a new report. “Structural and conjectural factors have led Haiti to a cataclysmic situation, characterized by profound political instability and extremely fragile institutions”according to this report.
The Caribbean island, which was already experiencing a serious political and security crisis, has been plagued by a wave of violence since the beginning of the month, when gangs joined forces to attack strategic locations in Port-au-Prince, in part of a fight to force the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, to leave power. Highly contested, the latter, who was unable to return to his country after a trip to Kenya, announced his resignation on March 11. The future Haitian presidential council, which must take the reins of the country, committed Wednesday to restoring “public and democratic order”.
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“Illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition”
According to the UN, “corruption, impunity and poor governance, compounded by increasing levels of gang violence, have eroded the rule of law and driven state institutions (…) on the verge of collapse ». The number of people killed and injured by gangs increased significantly in 2023: 4,451 killed and 1,668 injured, the report details. The number of casualties is rising sharply in the first three months of 2024, with 1,554 killed and 826 injured through March 22.
The Office notes that despite the arms embargo, “Illicit trafficking of weapons and ammunition across porous borders has provided a reliable supply chain for gangs”so that“they often have greater firepower than the Haitian national police”. He reiterates the need to urgently deploy a multinational security support mission to help the police restore the rule of law.
According to the report, gangs continue to use sexual violence to brutalize, punish and control the population. But sexual violence is rarely reported and most often goes unpunished. Gangs also continue to recruit and abuse children, some of whom have been killed while trying to leave the groups.
Along with the escalation of gang violence and the inability of the police to counter it, “vigilante squads” continued to take the law into their own hands.
At least 528 cases of lynching (510 men and 18 women) were reported in 2023, and 59 more in 2024. While some killings appeared spontaneous, others were allegedly encouraged or facilitated by police officers and people belonging to the coalition. gang known as G9 and its allies, according to the report.