According to the United Nations (UN), the number of deaths caused by gang violence in Haiti has increased by 28% from last quarter, resulting in over 600 fatalities. These deaths were concentrated in areas where authorities were unable to protect civilians. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed concern for the situation in Haiti and called for urgent support from the international community.
Turk urged the government to provide access to basic necessities such as clean water, food, health services, and shelter to people affected by the violence. Turk further suggested the deployment of a specialized force to aid the police and authorities in restoring peace in the country.
A quarterly report from the UN covering January to March highlighted that violence in Haiti has become more frequent and extreme, with gangs expanding their control over the country. The UN high commissioner’s office cited a report from May 9th indicating that more than 600 people were killed in April alone. This was in addition to 846 fatalities, 393 injuries, and 395 kidnappings in the first quarter of 2023.
The report also noted that areas that were previously considered safe were now affected, with gangs using snipers to shoot people indiscriminately in the streets and firing into homes. In some instances, gangs are burning people alive on public transport, while authorities lack the capacity to respond, forcing civilians to form vigilante groups to fight the gangs.
This situation has led to an increase in mob killings and lynchings of alleged gang members, with at least 164 such murders documented in April. Turk warned that such killings would only fuel the spiral of violence and reiterated the need for urgent support from the international community.
Turk’s office has underlined the scale of the suffering in Haiti and the need for immediate action to restore peace and provide essential services to the people affected by the violence.
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