Gang violence is on the rise in Haiti as illegal weapons are being smuggled into the country, according to a United Nations report.
From July 2024 to February, more than 4,200 people were killed in the Caribbean country, with another 1,356 injured.
Much of the violence is being committed by gangs who have formed a coalition known as “Vin Ansamn.”
In addition to gang violence, over 2,000 Haitians have been killed and injured in police operations from July to February — a 60% increase in police-involved killings.
According to the report, 73% of victims killed by authorities were alleged gang members, while 27% of people killed “were not associated with gangs and were often struck by stray bullets while in the streets or at home.” In some cases, police opened fire in areas “where people were walking or selling goods on the streets.”
Mobs and self-defense groups are also killing Haitians. In November, 77 alleged gang members were killed by a gunman who attacked a community in Port-au-Prince.
The escalating violence has led to the displacement of 60,000 people fleeing the capital.
“We have never observed such a large number of people moving in this short time. Families are being uprooted time and time again, forced to leave everything behind as they flee for safety,” Gregoire Goodstein, the U.N. migration agency’s (IOM) chief in Haiti, said. Many of those displaced were already living in precarious conditions after previous displacements.
The report found that there are an estimated 270,000 to 500,000 illegal weapons being peddled across the country. Many of these weapons are being trafficked from the United States, specifically from Florida.
“The use of these firearms has fueled a destructive cycle of violence in Haiti, leading to severe human rights abuses,” the report stated.
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At least 1,000 firearms belonging to Haiti’s National Police have been found in the hands of gang leaders in the past four years. It is speculated that some police officers are selling weapons on the black market.
Haiti’s customs and police departments are underfunded, understaffed, and plagued with corruption, making it difficult to seize the weapons.