UN Human Rights Report Shows Spike in Violence in Haiti

UNITED NATIONS – A new United Nations human rights report has revealed a spike in violence in Haiti.

Fires burn on streets in the Cité Soleil area of Port-au-Prince. (Photo courtesy of UNOCHA/Giles Clarke)According to the latest quarterly update from the UN integrated office, known by the French acronym BINUH, in the crisis-wracked, French-speaking Caribbean country, the last quarter of 2023 saw another rise in violence, with reports of 2,327 victims of murder, wounding and kidnapping, marking an eight per cent increase compared to the previous three months.

BINUH said the total increase is due to violence at the hands of organized crime gangs, particularly in the Artibonite and the southern outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, with an upsurge in sexual violence recorded in several areas.

UN Special Representative and Head of BINUH, Maria Isabel Salvado stressed that this violence is “fueling chronic insecurity and undermining social stability”.

The report also reveals the serious impact on children, with at least 53 child victims of violence or other crimes. It also highlights the threat to humanitarian aid on the roads due to gang control of highways.

The report says that the judicial system has also been impacted, “although there are some signs of improvement, including a reduction in pre-trial detention.”

During the quarter, the report states 400 cases were processed, resulting in the release of more than 258 people.

“However, there has been a rise in police casualties, highlighting persistent insecurity,” said BINUH, calling on the international community to keep Haiti “high on its agenda” and support the implementation of the planned Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) for Haiti.

On Wednesday, the Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that escalating armed violence in Haiti has triggered a “profound” humanitarian crisis.

UNICEF said at least 170,000 children are now displaced – double the number from last year – amid a surge in gang-led killings and kidnappings, sexual violence and a severe food crisis.

Latest UNICEF data revealed that nearly 314,000 people, roughly half of them children, have been uprooted across Haiti, mainly in the capital and the Artibonite department.