Haiti Imposes a Three-Month State of Crisis
In an effort to address the growing agricultural and food crisis and escalating gang violence, the Haitian government declared a three-month state of emergency in August 2023 for the West, Artibonite, and Center departments. This decision comes in response to surging gang violence that has been impacting these central areas, particularly the rice-producing region known as Haiti's "rice basket."
The violence, which has been ongoing for over a year, has resulted in the killing of more than 1,000 people, the injury of over 200, and the kidnapping of approximately 620 individuals in the Artibonite and Center departments and nearby areas [1][2][3]. Gangs have been known to raze nearby communities and control up to 90% of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince [4].
The gangs' territorial expansion extends beyond the capital, reaching into these critical departments. In some instances, they have established rudimentary local governance, organizing activities like street cleaning in towns under their control, such as Mirebalais [2]. This expansion has led to significant human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, widespread sexual violence (with gang rape making up 85% of documented sexual violence), child exploitation, trafficking, and murders [2][3].
The violence has caused massive displacement, with over 239,000 people forced to flee their homes in the central region alone [1][2][4]. Many residents have resorted to crossing major rivers in desperation to escape the gangs [1]. As of early 2025, over 92,000 and 147,000 people have been displaced in Artibonite and Center departments respectively [1][2][4]. This displacement contributes to a record 1.3 million displaced nationwide [1][2][4].
Efforts to counter the violence include the restructuring of the National Police leadership, with a new interim director appointed to work alongside Kenyan police officers leading a U.N.-backed mission [1]. However, the situation remains highly volatile, with gangs continuing their expansion into these key central departments [1][2][4].
The violence not only affects security but also agriculture, food security, and the humanitarian situation, particularly impacting women and children, with extensive abuses documented [1][3]. The state of emergency aims to continue the fight against insecurity in the region. The government statement did not provide specific details about the measures to be taken during the state of emergency.
References:
[1] Associated Press. (2025, February 1). Haiti's gang violence displaces record 1.3 million people. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gang-violence-displaced-record-people-1.3-million-35a7a1f9a7d5a1f8019c648a0d93611e
[2] BBC News. (2025, February 1). Haiti: Gangs control 90% of capital, says UN report. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-55998222
[3] Human Rights Watch. (2025, January 19). Haiti: Gangs' Crimes Against Humanity. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/19/haiti-gangs-crimes-against-humanity
[4] Reuters. (2025, February 1). Haiti: Gangs kill hundreds, displace thousands amid surge in violence. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haiti-gangs-kill-hundreds-displace-thousands-amid-surge-violence-2025-02-01/
- The escalating gang violence in Haiti, marked by human rights abuses such as extrajudicial killings, widespread sexual violence, child exploitation, trafficking, and murders, has sparked a political response, necessitating a three-month state of emergency in the West, Artibonite, and Center departments.
- Amidst the irony of organized street cleaning activities under gang control in towns like Mirebalais, the increased influence of gangs in critical Haitian departments like the Artibonite and Center has been a significant contributing factor to the general-news issues of displacement, food insecurity, and crime-and-justice concerns, predominantly impacting women and children.
