Haiti: More than 5,600 dead from gang violence in 2024

At least 5,601 people died in Haiti last year as a result of gang violence, an increase of more than 1,000 on the total murders in 2023, according to figures verified by the UN Human Rights Office. Another 2,212 people were injured and 1,494 were kidnapped.

“These figures alone cannot capture the absolute horrors being perpetrated in Haiti, but they show the relentless violence to which the population is being subjected,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

In an incident the Bureau calls “one of the deadliest and most shocking” of last year, at least 207 people were killed in early December in a massacre orchestrated by Wharf gang leader Jérémie in the Cité Soleil area of ​​Port Prince.

Many of the victims were elderly people accused of causing the death of the leader’s son through alleged voodoo practices. To delete the tests, The gang members mutilated and burned most of the bodies, while other bodies were thrown into the sea.

Lynchings and summary executions

The Human Rights Office documented 315 lynchings of gang members and people allegedly associated with them, sometimes apparently facilitated by Haitian police officers, in 2024.

Additionally, there were 281 cases of alleged summary executions involving specialized police units between January 1 and December 31, 2024.

“It has long been clear that impunity for human rights violations and abuses, as well as corruption, continue to prevail in Haiti, constituting some of the main drivers of the multidimensional crisis that the country faces, along with the deep-rooted economic and social inequalities,” said Türk, ensuring that additional efforts are needed from the authorities, with the support of the community. internationally, to address these root causes.

Support for the Multinational Mission

“Reestablishing the rule of law must be a priority. To this end, the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti needs the logistical and financial support it needs to successfully execute its mandate,” he added.

The Haitian National Police, with the support of the international community, must also strengthen its oversight mechanism to hold police officers accountable allegedly involved in human rights violations, indicated the Office of the High Commissioner.

Arms embargo and forced returns

Volker Turk reiterated its call for the full implementation of the sanctions regime of the Security Councilas well as the arms embargo, crucial to prevent the supply of firearms and ammunition to the country.

“The weapons that arrive in Haiti usually end up in the hands of criminal gangs, with tragic results: thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands of displaced people, essential infrastructure and services, such as schools and hospitals, interrupted and destroyed,” Türk stressed.

Regarding migrants and refugees, the person most responsible for ensuring human rights emphasized that insecurity and the crisis in the country simply do not allow a safe, dignified and sustainable return. “And yet, the deportations continue.”

“I reiterate my call to all States not to forcibly return anyone to Haiti”, he added in this regard.