UN says at least 5,700 killed or wounded in Haiti gang crisis this year
An international security force in the Caribbean island was undermanned.
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An international security force in the Caribbean island was undermanned.
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Haiti’s gang violence crisis has left at least 5,700 people dead or wounded this year while more than 1,000 women and girls have been raped, United Nations (UN) rights chief Volker Turk said Friday.
The high commissioner for human rights said the casualties and rapes and 230 kidnappings had been recorded by the UN mission in Haiti up to 11 September and that “the real figures are likely much higher” as an international security force in the Caribbean island was undermanned.
“Despite some success in containing their activity in parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, gangs continue to adapt and expand, re-emerging in new areas and constantly rearming,” he told the UN Human Rights Council.
The UN Security Council has mandated a Gang Suppression Force intended to be 5,500 strong but it has struggled to find contributions. “The Force remains far below the strength needed” and needed “accelerated deployment,” Turk said.
According to the US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, there are just 1,500 personnel in the force.
He said the UN had “serious concerns about the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force” by Haiti’s national law enforcement and self-defense groups.
“Since the beginning of the year, more than half of all casualties occurred in the context of security operations, with hundreds of people struck by stray bullets and explosive drones,” according to Turk.
“The number of summary executions carried out by specialized police units has fallen significantly — by almost half compared with 2025. However, people allegedly associated with gangs continue to be summarily executed.”
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