Port-au-Prince, March 21, 2023 - The United Nations in Haiti strongly condemns the resurgence of acts of extreme violence perpetrated by armed gangs in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and the department of Artibonite, including the localities of Petite Rivière of Artibonite, Verrettes, l'Estère and Liancourt.

These acts intensified between February 27 and March 9, 2023, sparing no segment of society and resulting in serious violations of human rights, in particular violations of the right to life, physical integrity and property rights. During this period, in clashes between gangs, at least 187 people were killed, 152 were injured, and two women disappeared and are still missing. Nearly 260 others were abducted from their homes or public places since the beginning of the year.

The department of Artibonite has also become the scene of clashes between gangs, motivated by a desire to terrorize the population and control more territory. This situation has been characterized by the displacement of populations, resulting in the loss of human life and the destruction of private and public property, including the abandonment of rice fields and plantations despite food insecurity.

The situation is even more alarming for children, who are often subjected to all forms of armed violence, including forced recruitment and sexual violence, with dramatic consequences. In addition, many schools have been closed due to insecurity caused by gangs, jeopardizing Haiti's progress in implementing the right to education.

The United Nations in Haiti expresses its deep concern for the thousands of displaced persons and calls on the Haitian authorities to fulfill their human rights treaty obligations.

The United Nations in Haiti reaffirms its support to the population and its commitment to work with national, regional, and international partners to support the efforts of public institutions towards a return to stability and security.

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For more information, please contact :

Beatrice Nibogora, Head of Strategic Communication and Public Information (SCPI), Spokesperson, BINUH, email :  nibogorab@un.org.