Haiti: UN Human Rights Chief Alarmed By Widening Violence As Gangs Expand Reach
GENEVA (13 June 2025) – UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said today that the human rights crisis in Haiti has plummeted to a new low, with gangs extending their reach beyond Port-au-Prince and into the central regions of the country, carrying out killings, rapes and kidnappings. A record 1.3 million people are now displaced by violence.
At least 2,680 people were killed between 1 January and 30 May 2025, including 54 children, according to information verified by the UN Human Rights Office. At least 957 others were injured and 316 kidnapped for ransom. Sexual violence by gangs and recruitment of children in gangs also continues to rise.
'Alarming as they are, numbers cannot express the horrors Haitians are being forced to endure on a daily basis,' said Türk. 'I am horrified by the ever-increasing spread of gang attacks and other human rights abuses beyond the capital, and deeply concerned by their destabilising impact on other countries in the region.
'While law enforcement struggles to restore security, mob and self-defence groups are taking the matter into their own hands, leading to even more human rights abuses.'
Since the end of March 2025, gangs have launched major attacks in the central Haitian commune of Mirebalais, ransacking police stations and private properties, and releasing more than 515 inmates from the local prison.
Meanwhile, clashes between gangs and so-called self-defence groups have intensified in the region of Bas Artibonite. On 20 May, at least 25 people were killed and 10 injured by armed individuals who accused the victims of supporting gangs. People were killed with machetes inside a church or in their homes, and some of the bodies were subsequently dragged into the streets and set on fire.
Ten days later, six members of the same family -- including four girls aged between two and 14 years of age -- were killed in their home by three allied gangs in the neighbourhood of Pernier, Port-au-Prince. These killings were in response to intensified police operations and the victims targeted randomly.
Law enforcement operations against gangs have recently increased in the capital. Since the start of the year, at least 1,448 people have been killed during police operations while at least 65 have been summarily executed by police elements.
'Any use of lethal force by law enforcement officers should always be in accordance with human rights law, and abide by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution, and accountability,' Türk said. 'Those violating the law must be held to account.
'Impunity for human rights violations and corruption are drivers of the long-standing and multi-dimensional crisis facing the country. It is essential that the authorities live up to their agreement to address all crimes, including sexual violence and financial crimes such as corruption. The specialized judicial task forces should be established as soon as possible,' Türk added.
The High Commissioner urged the international community to act with resolve to bring an end to the violence. 'The coming months will be crucial and will test the international community's ability to take stronger, more coordinated action --- action that will help determine the future stability of Haiti and the wider region,' he said.
'I call for renewed support to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, which is under-resourced and under-equipped, and for the full implementation of the Security Council's arms embargo. No more illegal weapons should be allowed to facilitate the horrors unfolding in Haiti.
'At this time of untold suffering and fear, I reiterate my call to all States not to forcibly return anyone to Haiti, and to ensure that Haitians who have fled their country are protected against any kind of discrimination and stigmatization,' he added.
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