Extreme violence and gang control on the rise in Haiti

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warned Tuesday that the population in Haiti faces an “endless cycle of violence,” while the gangs continue to inflict a extreme cruelty and vigilantes take measures outside the law.

“Every report I receive from Haiti underscores the magnitude of the suffering and reinforces the message that Haitians need help urgently, and need it now,” Volker Türk said.

“I reiterate my appeal to the international community to deploy a specialized support force and respectful of human rights, with a specific deadline and a comprehensive action plan to help Haitian institutions,” he added.

According to him latest report about the situation in the country, at least 846 people were killed in the first three months of 2023. To this figure must be added 393 wounded and 395 kidnappedwhich represents an increase in violence of 28% compared to the previous quarter.

In addition, the Human Rights Service of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti reported that In the month of April alone, more than 600 people died in a new wave of extreme violence that hit several districts of the capital.

These figures indicate a context of increasing insecurity, in which the murders and lynchings of suspected gang members are increasingwith at least 164 of these homicides documented in April.

Lack of State response capacity

Faced with this situation, Volker Türk declared that “it is the obligation of the State to protect its citizens. People should be able to trust the police and judicial authorities to deal with gang violence. But the reality is that the State does not have the capacity to respond. Therefore, people take the law into their own hands, but this will only fuel the spiral of violence.”

The report also highlights the emergence of vigilante groupsfollowing calls by some political figures and journalists for citizens to form self-defense organizations to fight gang violence.

In this context, violence is not only becoming more extreme and frequent, but it is escalating as gangs try to expand their control. Areas of the capital previously considered safe, especially Kenscoff and Pétion Ville, as well as the Artibonite department, are now affected.

Among other modus operandi used by the gangs, the report identifies incidents of snipers who shoot indiscriminately at people in the street or shoot at houses, and people burned alive in public transport.

Extreme poverty

“We must not forget that extreme poverty and the lack of basic services are at the origin of the current violence and the power of gangs over communities. The Government, with the support of the international community, must do everything possible to fulfill its obligation to provide the population with regular and unimpeded access to drinking water, food, health and shelter,” added Türk.

“The current emergency situation in terms of human rights requires a forceful and urgent response,” he said.

With the aim of curbing gang violence, the report includes a series of recommendations to the Government:

• combat smuggling and the uncontrolled flow of weapons and illicit ammunition
• support the judicial systemin particular specialized judicial task forces to fight corruption and mass crimes, including those involving sexual violence
• restore social services and projectsespecially in areas under gang control