Haiti: the spiral of violence between gangs has left more than a million displaced

The upsurge in gang violence in Haiti has tripled in one year the number of people uprooted from their homes, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a call to “maintain humanitarian aid in order to save and protect lives.”

The latest data The UN agency indicates that more than one million people have been displaced in Haiti to date, compared to the 315,000 registered on December 20, 2023.

«The most concrete data we have is that around 1,041,000 people are currently displaced in Haiti. Most of them have been displaced several times,” said IOM spokesperson Kennedy Okoth Omondi.

Most of the people forced to flee their homes left the capital, Port-au-Prince.where violence by heavily armed gangs is “relentless,” while essential services have collapsed, “particularly healthcare and worsening food insecurity,” Omondi continued.

Neighboring provinces have also been affected by gang violence and the influx of Haitians fleeing spiraling insecurity.

“Many are seeking refuge in Haiti’s provinces, overwhelming host communities and straining limited resources,” the spokesperson said. «In the Artibonite department, displacement tripled in 2024“, reaching more than 84,000 people, highlighting the spread of violence beyond the Haitian capital.”

Thousands of deaths in 2024

Last week, the UN Human Rights Office reported that grisly gang violence left more than 5,600 dead last year.

In recent weeks, the gangs have been held responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in separate massacres over several days.

In the first incident, the Office noted that Some victims were dismembered after being accused of using alleged voodoo practices. to cause the death of Wharf gang leader Jérémie in the capital’s Cité Soleil, before his body parts were thrown into the sea.

The UN human rights office also documented 315 lynchings of gang members and people allegedly associated with themwhich on some occasions would have been provided by Haitian police agents.

On December 24, armed men opened fire on journalists participating in a press conference to announce the reopening of the Caribbean country’s largest public hospital, killing three of them.

Forced return to Haiti

The IOM noted that the deportation of some 200,000 Haitians, mainly from the Dominican Republic, has placed an even greater burden on the country’s overwhelmed social services. “Communities are already basically fighting to survive,” Omondi said.

As the violence continues, the UN agency explained that it has become more difficult to safely reach the most vulnerable people in a growing number of displacement locations.

These are mainly concentrated in the capital and have increased from 73 to 108 in one year, the IOM said, highlighting severe overcrowding and lack of adequate access to food, clean water, sanitation and education.

«Reports from these locations reveal deteriorating conditionswith families struggling to survive in makeshift shelters, while facing increasing health and protection risks,” Omondi said.

Lack of funds

The UN humanitarian response plan for Haiti, endowed with 674 million dollars, It is only 42% financedwhich leaves a deficit of 388 million dollars.

On December 23, the Security Council stressed the need for the international community to redouble its efforts to support the Haitian national police and strengthen the Multinational Security Support Mission, led by Kenya and supported by the Security Councilwhich has 2,500 troops.

To date, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica and Kenya have deployed some 750 troopsand the latter country has expressed its intention to deploy another 600 police officers.