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Over 2,680 fatalities due to turmoil in Haiti during the current year, reports UN

Over 2,680 fatalities reported in Haiti during the initial five months of the year, the United Nations announced on Friday, expressing concern over the escalating gang-related violence and its expanding reach.

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Violence perpetrated by gangs in Haiti has resulted in the deaths of approximately 2,680...
Violence perpetrated by gangs in Haiti has resulted in the deaths of approximately 2,680 individuals within the first five months of the year, according to a statement issued by the United Nations, expressing deep concern over the escalating violence.

Over 2,680 fatalities due to turmoil in Haiti during the current year, reports UN

Unchecked Havoc: The Bloody Reign of Haiti's Armed Gangs

Step into Haiti, the impoverished cornerstone of the Western hemisphere, where the vice-like grip of rival gangs tightens, leaving no quarter for peace. Beyond the coastal capital Port-au-Prince, these ruthless forces have infiltrated the central regions, orchestrating bloodshed, rape, and kidnappings at an alarming pace.

United Nations Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, paints a grim portrait of the crisis hitting rock bottom. The crisis's unrelenting brutality, he laments, defies expression, as Haitians remain prisoners to a daily barrage of terror.

Between January 1 and May 30, 2025, the UN Human Rights Office verifies at least 2,680 casualties, with 54 of them being children. Although these numbers are daunting, the true toll is expected to be significantly higher. Furthermore, 957 people have been left injured, and 316 have been kidnapped for ransom, according to the UN. The surge in sexual violence and the conscription of children into these criminal ranks continue unabated.

"Numbers cannot fathom the atrocities Haitians endure," Turk states emphatically. The growing footprint of gang attacks and other human rights atrocities beyond the capital raises concerns regarding regional instability.

Haiti's law enforcement struggles to restore order, prompting mobs and self-defense groups to take matters into their own hands. These reactions unfortunately give rise to further human rights abuses.

Violent clashes between gangs and so-called self-defense groups lead the death toll, with one instance involving at least 25 fatalities, as reported by Turk. Despite the country's transitional government and the renewed wave of violence since February, gangs continue to encroach upon previously safe territories.

According to the UN, gangs control 85% of Port-au-Prince, and their aggressive attacks on unconquered territories escalate. The unfortunate outcome is a record 1.3 million people forced to flee their homes due to violence, as disclosed by the UN's migration agency.

The coming months will test the international community's resolve to take bolder action and bring stability to Haiti and the surrounding region.

References:

  1. UN Human Rights Office, Report on Human Rights in Haiti (2025).
  2. US Department of State, Travel Advisory for Haiti (2023).
  3. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Haiti Humanitarian Update (2025).
  4. United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, Child Protection and Emergency Response Plan for Haiti (2025).
  5. Council on Foreign Relations, Haiti's Humanitarian Crisis: Causes and Implications for Regional Stability (2024).
  6. The international community must address the escalating human rights crisis in Haiti, as UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk emphasizes that the numbers of casualties, kidnappings, and sexual violence are only a fraction of the atrocities endured by Haitians.
  7. The ongoing regional instability in Haiti, exacerbated by the control of 85% of Port-au-Prince by gangs and the surge in general-news events such as bloodshed, rape, and kidnappings, calls for urgent attention and intervention from the international political leaders and organizations in the field of crime-and-justice.

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