UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Friday called for “immediate and decisive” action to tackle the escalating gang violence in Haiti.
In a press release from Geneva, Turk welcomed recent steps taken by Haiti’s transitional government such as the creation of a Transitional Presidential Council and the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).
He emphasized that these measures must be strengthened with additional personnel and resources to combat the entrenched criminal networks effectively.
In addition, Turk called on Haitian authorities to strengthen state institutions particularly the police and judiciary, urging the government to protect children from recruitment into gangs and take stronger action to address gender-based violence.
The High Commissioner reiterated the importance of international support, calling on the global community to enforce the arms embargo, travel bans and asset freezes imposed by the UN Security Council to curb the power of gangs in Haiti
.
According to a report released by the UN Human Rights Office earlier today, more than 3,661 people have been killed since January 2024 as a result of the severe impact of gang-related violence.
This includes the systematic use of sexual violence by gangs to intimidate and control communities.
The report covering events up to June also revealed alarming patterns of violence across Port-au-Prince rural areas as the Artibonite Department and parts of the previously unaffected West Department.
It further raised serious concerns about the excessive use of force by police with 860 people reportedly killed in operations during the first half of 2024 including at least 36 children.
Additionally, the report noted that the violence has had a devastating impact on Haiti’s agricultural heartland.
In Artibonite (the country’s agricultural heartland, more than 3,000 hectares of farmland have been abandoned due to gang extortion and attacks exacerbating the country’s food insecurity crisis.
An estimated 1.6 million
Haitians are currently facing emergency food shortages.
The report noted that approximately 430 personnel from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission have already been deployed in Haiti to address any potential violations in collaboration with the UN Human Rights Office in line with UN Security Council resolution 2699.
Source: Kuwait News Agency
