Haiti’s gangs caused thousands of deaths and the displacement of over a million people in the past year, according to the United Nations, highlighting the extreme humanitarian consequences of their increasing control over the country.
At least 5,601 people were killed in Haiti last year due to gang violence — an increase of over 1,000 compared to 2023, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) announced on January 7. Another 2,212 people were injured and 1,494 were kidnapped.
Additionally, over a million people have been displaced across Haiti, a threefold increase from the 315,000 recorded in December 2023, according to data published on January 14 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The situation seems likely to deteriorate further. A transitional council tasked with organizing elections is grappling with corruption scandals, and an international security support mission has struggled in confrontations with criminal groups.
Moreover, the UN warned funding shortfalls could worsen humanitarian conditions, especially as Haiti continues to receive people deported from other countries.
Criminal Groups Gaining Legitimacy in Political Discussions
Gangs now control over 85% of Port-au-Prince and areas surrounding the capital, according to the latest UN estimate, making them increasingly difficult to exclude from political dialogue despite near-universal resistance to legitimizing their role.
This grim reality is underscored by the ongoing crisis within Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), tasked with governing the country and organizing elections before its mandate ends in February 2026. Since taking power in April 2024, the TPC has faced mounting turmoil, including the ousting of interim Prime Minister Gary Conille in November and a recent bank bribery scandal involving three members.
The scandals have spurred calls for reform. Earlier this month, several key political parties and coalitions submitted a proposal to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) advocating changes to the TPC.
The proposal submitted to CARICOM referenced Viv Ansanm, Haiti’s most powerful gang coalition, noting that while the group did not sign the April political accord establishing the transitional government, it supports at least one proposal to restructure the council.
The mention of Viv Ansanm, led by notorious gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue,” is unsurprising, as ties between political entities like the Haitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK) and powerful gangs have been previously exposed. But the acknowledgment of gang influence in an official letter highlights the extent of criminal governance established by the gang coalition in Haiti, and their potential role in future political negotiations.
“We must stop this hypocrisy. There is a phenomenon of illegal armed groups in the country, and we must, as adults and pragmatists, solve this problem,” said Liné Balthazar, PHTK president and leader of the Collective of Political Parties of January 30, admitting on Haitian radio station Magik9 that Viv Ansanm is involved in discussions alongside major political players.
Surge in Violence in 2024
As gangs gain legitimacy in political discussions, their attacks have become more brazen, including some of the deadliest massacres in Haiti’s recent history. Violence now frequently extends beyond Port-au-Prince into rural areas, and gangs increasingly target healthcare and diplomatic facilities.
In Petite Rivière, a small farming settlement in central Haiti, community leaders reported that 150 people were killed in December after members of the Savien Gran Grief and Palmis gangs attacked residents, while local vigilante groups retaliated, targeting suspected gang members and sympathizers. This followed an October massacre in the same Artibonite region, where the Gran Grif gang murdered at least 115 residents.
Urban areas have also seen horrific mass killing events. In December, the Wharf Jérémie gang killed 207 people, primarily elderly individuals accused of practicing voodoo and causing the gang leader’s child to fall ill, according to the UN. To conceal their crimes, the gang reportedly burned or dismembered bodies and discarded them in the sea.
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Emboldened by their growing dominance, gangs have expanded their attacks to previously less-affected sectors, targeting health workers and diplomats with alarming frequency.
In December, the Viv Ansanm coalition carried out two high-profile attacks on hospitals in Port-au-Prince. Gangs attacked Haiti’s only neurological trauma center with Molotov cocktails. A week later, they targeted the General Hospital during its reopening ceremony, killing three people. Attacks like these have drastically reduced the functionality of Port-au-Prince’s health facilities, with only 37% fully operational, according to the OHCHR.
Embassy staff have also come under fire. In January, gangs shot at armored vehicles with diplomatic plates, injuring several passengers, including India’s honorary consul, and a day earlier, they targeted a US embassy van, wounding an employee. Earlier, in October, gang attacks on embassy vehicles included one carrying the chief of mission, according to the Miami Herald.
Multinational Mission Floundering
The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti remains understaffed, underfunded, and poorly equipped. The MSS has been unable to help the beleaguered Haitian National Police (PNH) dislodge gangs from neighborhoods, allowing these criminal groups to further entrench their control.
In January, an additional 217 Kenyan police officers, 150 Guatemalan officers, and eight Salvadoran soldiers joined the MSS, bringing the total to nearly 800 — far below the anticipated 2,500 personnel. Other countries, including Benin, which had pledged up to 2,000 soldiers, and Barbados, have recently withdrawn their support.
SEE ALSO: Pressure Grows for Kenyan Police Fighting Haiti’s Gangs
Funding shortages add to the mission’s challenges. It currently has around $100 million, far less than the $600 million needed, according to an investigation by The New Humanitarian and Kenya’s Nation newspaper. While the United States initially pledged $300 million, in January, President Donald Trump temporarily suspended US foreign assistance programs for 90 days, which could freeze crucial funding. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed support for the mission during his Senate confirmation hearing.
Beyond funding and personnel, the MSS struggles with inadequate weaponry to counter heavily armed gangs skilled in smuggling weapons into Haiti. While the United States has provided dozens of armored vehicles, they are designed for troop transport, not combat.
The future of the mission is unclear. In October, Leslie Voltaire, the current head of TPC, formally requested that the MSS be converted into a full UN peacekeeping operation. While the Joe Biden administration supported this, it faced resistance from Russia and China in UN Security Council discussions, and the stance of the Trump administration on the matter has yet to be announced.
Featured Image: A Kenyan police officer, part of a UN-backed multinational force, patrols a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)