Gang Violence on the Rise in Haiti: Q1 2025 Report
A Bloody Battle for Territory
Over 1600 fatalities reported from January to March, with the majority being affiliate members of street gangs.
Remember the chaos unfolding in Haiti? Yep, it ain't slowing down. Within the first three months of 2025, close to 1.7k people, primarily gang associates, were brutally slain, with roughly 580 sustaining injuries due to gang-related violence, self-defense skirmishes, and security force operations, as per the UN's BINUH report.
Here's the kicker: despite this carnage, gangs took advantage of the opportunity to widen their territorial control, particularly in Port-au-Prince and surrounding neighborhoods like Delmas 30 and Carrefour Feuilles, adding another layer of dread to these already volatile areas.
It gets worse. Toward the end of March, these militant groups targeted not just Port-au-Prince but also other cities such as Mirebalais and Saut-d'Eau in the Central department. The objective? Control over stretches of the border with the Dominican Republic, a move bound to intensify the terror.
The Invisible War on the Streets
While the simple math might indicate a decrease in deaths compared to the previous quarter and the first quarter of 2024, the intensity of this violence isn't following a linear trajectory. Factors such as gang attacks and police operations contribute to the random ebb and flow of bloodshed.
Looking deeper into the statistics, you can see that gang-related violence directly accounted for 35% of the deaths and injuries, police actions and questionable "executions" involved in 56%, and self-defense groups like the Bwa Kale carried out 9% of the violence. It's a war out there, alright, but not one with clear-cut lines.
Extrajudicial Executions and Juvenile Victims Among the Fallen
The Haitian police, overburdened and under-equipped, are struggling to regain control as reports surface of 65 extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, including the gruesome deaths of two young adolescents. The UN has emphasized that these victims were neither arming themselves nor taking part in violent acts at the time of their demise.
The Societal Impact of Gang Violence
Haiti, already battling grinding poverty, has long been under the harsh grip of criminal gangs, accused of everything from murders, rapes, and looting to kidnappings. Shockingly, in 2024, the UN recorded over 5.6k deaths linked to gang violence, a staggering 20% increase compared to 2023, and nearly 1.5k abductions. The number of gender-based violence cases soared, with almost 6k instances (69% being sexual assaults)—a 70% jump compared to previous years.
The misery doesn't end there. More than a million Haitians are now displaced, a 48% increase from September 2024, and various cholera outbreaks and gender-based violence further complicate the dire humanitarian situation. If the trend continues, experts predict that over half the population will be plunged into severe hunger by June 2025.
The UN's Warning and the Push for International Aid
The UN has issued countless alarms, warning that Haiti is inching ever closer to the brink of anarchy and chaos, if swift action isn't taken. They've also called on the international community to supply emergency aid promptly to halve the escalating violence and support the ailing Haitian people.
Regrettably, efforts like the Kenyan-led policing mission have been handicapped due to constrained resources and insufficient manpower.
The Haitian Government's Struggle to Respond
The Haitian National Police face an uphill battle in trying to effectively contain the ever-expanding gang violence plaguing their country. Their weak response has prompted the Haitian ambassador to the UN to plead for urgent international assistance to reinforce their capabilities against these ruthless gangs.
So there you have it. Call it a perfect storm, a vicious circle, or whatever you like, but one thing's for sure: Haiti is fighting a losing battle against the gang violence that's tearing its society apart, and the future looks bleak indeed.
- The gangs in Haiti, despite causing numerous deaths and injuries in Q1 2025, have used this violence to expand their territorial control, notably in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas like Delmas 30 and Carrefour Feuilles.
- As the war-and-conflicts in Haiti intensify, it has become apparent that gang-related violence accounted for 35% of the deaths and injuries, while police actions and questionable "executions" contributed to 56%.
- In the midst of this ongoing armed conflict, human rights concerns persist, with reports of over 65 extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, including the deaths of two young adolescents, who were neither arming themselves nor participating in violent acts.
- The escalating gang violence, coupled with the rising number of gender-based violence cases (nearly 6k instances - 69% being sexual assaults), has led to displacement of more than a million Haitians and increased the likelihood of over half the population experiencing severe hunger by June 2025.
- As the situation in Haiti worsens, the UN continues to issue appeals for international aid to curb the violence, partly due to the challenges faced by the ongoing Kenyan-led policing mission, which is handicapped by resource constraints and insufficient manpower.
