Rapid expansion of gang violence permeating rural regions in Haiti, indicates UN report
Haiti's rural areas plagued by escalating gang violence, as per a recent UN report Villages face ruthless raids and farmers in the country's breadbasket suffer food insecurity Troubling situation detailed in the report
The rural areas of Haiti have been hit by a wave of violence, as detailed in a UN report released on Tuesday. The report describes gang raids on villages and the alarming levels of food insecurity caused by the targeting of farmers in the countrys historic breadbasket. From the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, the report offers a stern analysis of the increasing presence of gangs in the impoverished Caribbean nation, which has experienced escalating unrest following the 2021 assassination of then-President Jovenel Moise.
The attention has previously been on Port-au-Prince, the capital, where violent gangs have displaced thousands of people into makeshift encampments. However, the focus has now shifted to Bas-Artibonite, located 100 kilometers from the capital, which is now home to over 20 "extremely violent" criminal groups. According to a UN report, 1,690 people were either killed, injured, or kidnapped from January 2022 to last month. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concern about the escalating violence and the police's inability to contain it, both within and outside Port-au-Prince.
"The situation in Haiti is catastrophic," he stated. "We are still receiving reports of murders, sexual assaults, forced displacement, and other forms of violence - even in hospitals."
The report urges the immediate dispatch of a multinational support mission authorized by the UN Security Council last month and the strengthening of the Haitian police. The mission is anticipated to be headed by Kenya, which has committed 1,000 police officers to the operation, although legal obstacles have delayed their deployment.
"The much-needed Multinational Security Support mission needs to be deployed to Haiti as soon as possible," Türk said in the statement.
Crowds scatter as the Haitian National Police fire tear gas to clear a camp of people fleeing armed gangs outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on July 25, 2023. (Photo credit: Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters)
The situation in Haiti is dire, with a sharp increase in violence in the Artibonite region at the end of last year. Gangs and vigilante groups have been fighting for control, resulting in at least 110 attacks on rival villages from January 2022 through last month. The report describes the attacks as displaying "extreme brutality," including beheadings, rapes, and kidnappings. Haiti is teetering on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe.
The report found that brazen daylight attacks on some of the busiest roadways are common, resulting in more than 85 fatalities by gang members who set up barricades or ambushed public transport vehicles. Additionally, farmers and their properties have become prime targets for gangs, with members occupying fields and extorting money from farmers in exchange for access. Non-compliant individuals face violence, theft of crops and livestock, and even death.
The World Food Program reported in April that almost 5,000 hectares of crops in three communes of Lower Artibonite were reduced due to the displacement of the agricultural workforce. In September, the WFP found that over 45% of the population in Artibonite is considered acutely food insecure.
The report states that relying solely on police and judicial responses will not adequately protect the human rights of the population, especially regarding agricultural property issues in the Lower Artibonite region. It emphasizes the need for prompt deployment of a specialized international force to ensure a robust and effective response.
