Gang Violence Escalates Haiti’s Displacement Crisis
Elizabeth Denton
Staff Writer
Gang violence in Haiti is leading to an increase in displacement, with over one million people currently displaced, and rising by the thousands every week. United Nations News reports that around six million people in Haiti face acute food insecurity, with two million experiencing emergency hunger levels. Forced military recruitment and child trafficking are on the rise, and sexual violence is being used to deliberately assert control. Only half of the capital’s health facilities in Port-au-Prince are fully operational, with many shutting down due to the increasing gang violence in the area.
Gangs armed with illegal weapons are killing civilians, destroying schools and healthcare facilities, and committing sexual violence and mass kidnappings. Between July 2024 and February 2025, over 4,000 people were killed and over 1,000 injured. Over 92 percent of casualties are attributed to gun violence, reports the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations (OHCHR). In December, at least two hundred people were killed over five days in Cité Soleil, proving the alarming scope of the violence in more aspects than just the casualties. Gangs no longer only operate in parts of Port-au-Prince but are spreading beyond to cities like Cité Soleil.
Since July 2024, armed violence in Haiti has remained high, fueled by gang attacks, police operations, and vigilante justice, according to the OHCHR. The OHCHR has documented numerous human rights violations and abuses, including targeting killings, kidnappings for ransom, rape, sexual exploitation, destruction of property, and restrictions on access to essential services, such as healthcare and education. Over time, the gangs have become more coordinated and united, often overpowering national security forces, aided by the use of firearms and ammunition.. The situation has worsened the nation’s pre-existing security, human rights, and humanitarian crises.
Most of the violence has been committed by a coalition of gangs formed last year, known as Viv Ansamn, says The Associated Press. However, a growing number of casualties are due to self-defense groups and mobs, including around 77 suspected gang members killed in November after gunmen attempted to attack a community in Port-au-Prince. A high number of people are also killed and injured by authorities fighting gangs. More than 2,000 civilians were killed in the crossfire between police and gangs from July to February, a 60 percent increase compared to that of the previous year. Around 73 percent of the victims killed by law enforcement were reportedly gang members, while 27 percent were not associated with any gangs and were often struck by stray bullets at home or while in the street.
The high amount of arms trafficking, which supplies gangs with high-power weapons and ammunition, has also had an impact on the increase in casualties. Gangs obtain illegal weapons from private security companies and illegal markets. Nearly 1,000 firearms belonging to Haiti’s
National Police have been diverted over the past four years, reports The Associated Press, and officers have been selling weapons on illegal markets themselves. An estimated overall 270,000 to 500,000 illegal weapons are currently circulating in Haiti. Detecting and seizing the illegal weapons has posed a challenge given the underfunded state of Haiti’s customs and police departments, coupled with a lack of resources and technology, as well as corruption and lack of oversight.
The surge in gang violence and rise in casualties has led the displacement crisis to unprecedented levels. According to the United Nations News, over one million people are currently forcibly displaced, more than double the number recorded last year. Areas such as Delmas, Carrefour-Feuilles, Martissant, Fort National, Petion-Ville, and Tabarre have been heavily impacted, causing thousands to flee in search of safety. With the Toussant Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince remaining closed, most have sought refuge in forty-eight displacement sites, twelve of which were newly established, while others rely on host families for shelter. Despite these efforts, the growing number of displaced people is stretching available resources to the limit.
Doctors Without Borders is one of the humanitarian aid organizations seeking to help with the displacement crisis. However, four of its vehicles came under fire from gangs while evacuating staff from a hospital in Port-au-Prince. The Associated Press reports that the organization was attacked after deciding to suspend services at the Turgeau Emergency Center due to the brutal street fights gradually moving closer to the facility. The Turgeau Emergency Center was one of the few hospitals in Haiti’s capital that was fully functional.
On the border of Haiti, the Dominican Republic has announced a series of measures aiming to bolster border security and tighten migration control, according to Al Jazeera. President Luis Abinader has planned to deploy additional troops for border surveillance and has approved the construction of a new wall separating the two countries. Legal reforms are also on the agenda, including tougher penalties to deter the entry and stay of immigrants into the country.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.