more than 530 people have been killed in Haiti by gang violence in 2023

First modification: 03/21/2023 – 14:20Last modification: 03/21/2023 – 14:19

Haiti, the poorest country in the hemisphere, submerged in a spiral of violence that is increasing.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that from last January to March 15, 2023, “531 people died, 300 were injured and 277 were kidnapped” in incidents related to criminal gangs.

The events took place mainly in Port-au-Prince, the capital of the country.

“Most of the victims were killed or wounded by snipers who allegedly fired randomly at people who were in their homes or on the street,” OHCHR spokesperson Marta Hurtado told reporters in Geneva, Switzerland.

In the first two weeks of March alone, clashes between gangs resulted in at least 208 deaths, 164 injuries, and 101 kidnappings.

The UN Human Rights Office pointed out that there is great concern about violence in the country, where “clashes between gangs are increasingly violent and frequent,” said Hurtado.

“We ask the international community to urgently consider the deployment of a specialized support force (…) with a complete and precise action plan,” added the official, referring to eventual measures to contain the violence.

According to the UN, the gangs are trying to expand their territorial control in the capital and other regions by attacking people living in areas controlled by their rivals.

Among the victims of stray bullets are students and school teachers. The UN also denounced an increase in the kidnappings of parents and schoolchildren in the vicinity of the study centers, which has forced the closure of many schools.

Without the protection of a school environment, “many children have been forcibly recruited by gangs,” Hurtado stressed.

Violence forces the displacement of thousands of people

Haiti has been mired in a humanitarian, economic and political crisis for years, exacerbated since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which occurred in 2021, and accentuated by the rise in gang violence.

Chronic instability and violence have skyrocketed food prices and half the nation’s population lacks enough to eat, the UN said.

In the midst of this panorama, at least 160,000 people have been displaced and live in precarious conditions. A quarter of them survive in camps, with limited access to basic sanitation services.

In addition, sexual violence is also used by gangs against women and girls “to terrorize them, subdue them and punish the population,” denounced Hurtado, who affirmed that gangs kidnap young people to pressure their families to pay a ransom.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, urged the Haitian authorities to address the security situation, with a reinforcement of the Police and a reform of the judicial system.