Populations in Haiti are facing possible atrocity crimes due to widespread violence and abuses by armed gangs. 

BACKGROUND:

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, violence has intensified in Haiti, particularly in Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs have proliferated, perpetrating widespread abuses with near-total impunity. Around 300 criminal groups are active, and experts estimate 270,000 to 500,000 firearms are in illegal circulation, the majority of which are controlled by gangs. Insecurity in Port-au-Prince has reached levels comparable to countries in armed conflict while gang violence has also escalated in the Artibonite department, with populations facing near-daily attacks and abuses.  

Violence intensified throughout 2024, particularly in late February when two of the largest gang coalitions, G9 and Gpèp, formed an alliance known as Viv Ansanm and launched a coordinated offensive targeting critical civilian infrastructure across Port-au-Prince. As rival gang clashes have decreased, targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools, medical facilities and humanitarian organizations, has increased. At least 5,600 people were killed in 2024, about 1,000 more than in 2023, according to the UN. Populations are often confined to their neighborhoods, facing indiscriminate violence, rape, torture, kidnappings and forced recruitment and child trafficking. In response to escalating violence and the inability of the Haitian National Police (HNP) to protect communities, a civilian self-defense movement – “Bwa Kale” – emerged in April 2023. These vigilante groups have systematically killed and burned suspected gang members.  

The crisis has had devastating effects on women and children. UN officials and experts report the deliberate, systematic and pervasive use of sexual violence, including collective rape and mutilation, by gangs as a means of exerting territorial control and to punish communities. The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict has reported a dramatic rise in sexual slavery of women and girls. Haiti ranks among the five countries with the highest number of child victims of sexual violence. According to the UN Children’s Fund, children comprise up to 50 percent of armed group members. The UN documented nearly a fivefold increase in grave violations against children during 2024, leading the Secretary-General to add Viv Ansanm to the listed annex of perpetrators in the annual report on Children and Armed Conflict. 

Insecurity has compounded an existing humanitarian crisis. Around 5.7 million people face acute food insecurity, and nearly 1.3 million are internally displaced. Despite life-threatening risks, more than 200,000 Haitians were forcibly repatriated in 2024. UN Women reports that in makeshift camps, sexual violence – particularly rape – is used to control access to scarce humanitarian aid. 

The grave security situation has been exacerbated by protracted political deadlock, as well as a dysfunctional judiciary and the lack of legitimate executive or legislative bodies. In April 2024 a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) was installed; however, some Council members have been embroiled in a corruption scandal and political infighting, further eroding public trust in the government. 

In response to the crisis, the UN Security Council (UNSC) established a sanctions regime and arms embargo in October 2022. In July 2025 the UNSC designated Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, the largest gang in Artibonite, joining several individuals on its sanctions list. In June 2024 the UNSC-authorized Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), led by Kenya, began joint operations alongside the HNP to combat gangs and restore security under strict adherence to international law, including respect for human rights and use of force protocols.  

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 

In recent months, gangs have launched several coordinated deadly assaults across Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite and Centre departments, triggering large-scale displacement. Between 3 October 2024 and 30 June at least 4,864 people were killed, 1,597 injured and 775 kidnapped. Only 10 percent of Port-au-Prince remains under government control, prompting the UN Secretary-General to warn that gangs could overrun the capital. In late February the TPC established a task force which has launched operations targeting gang strongholds, including drone strikes using explosive munitions. Since late March violence has surged in the central cities of Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau – areas previously unaffected by gangs – in an apparent attempt to multiply battlefronts. 

In response to the worsening crisis, on 27 June the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted a resolution requesting the OAS Secretary General to deliver an action plan with 45 days to improve security, deliver aid, support political dialogue and the organization of free and fair elections. A month prior, the OAS Special Adviser on R2P determined that violations perpetrated in Haiti, including mass killing, rape, torture and enslavement, constitute crimes against humanity due to their coordinated and widespread nature, the organizational policy to instill fear and control populations and the hierarchical command of the gangs, supported by transnational arms pipelines. 

Escalating waves of violence have prompted calls for a robust UN peacekeeping operation. In February the UN Secretary-General proposed the creation of a UN office to provide logistical and operational support to the mission. Although the MSS has recently expanded to nearly 1,000 officers, it still accounts for only 40 percent of the planned 2,500 personnel. 

ANALYSIS:

Populations in gang-controlled territory face heightened risks of widespread human rights abuses, including killings, kidnappings and sexual violence, which may amount to crimes against humanity. As gangs have shifted their actions from inter-group clashes to perpetrating a strategic campaign to dismantle state institutions, instill fear and tighten control, civilians and civilian infrastructure have increasingly become the targets of these abuses rather than victims caught in the crossfire of gang violence. In these areas, gangs also act as gangs act as de facto authorities, implementing their own form of governance and regulating daily life. Despite efforts by the HNP and MSS, gangs continue to outmatch them, challenging the state’s control over remaining territory. 

Vigilante groups – long present in Haiti – are now expanding and better equipped. Although they have sometimes prevented attacks, self-defense groups are increasingly perpetrating human rights abuses and gangs have retaliated with brutal assaults on communities under vigilante protection. 

Insecurity has severely limited access to public services, deepening inequalities and fueling exclusion – a driver of violence and recruitment. Gang extortion of farmers and traders undermines livelihoods, while control over key resources and transport routes has made gangs more autonomous and economically powerful, with increased involvement in extortion or drug and arms trafficking.  

The prevalence of gang violence is also fueled by long-standing ties between gangs and elites, as well as the power vacuum following former President Moïse’s assassination. For decades, police, politicians and other elites utilized gangs to enforce their authority and provided them with funding, weapons and impunity. The unification under Viv Ansanm has expanded gang control, boosting financial and political influence.  

RISK ASSESSMENT:

• • • Proliferation and flow of illicit arms and ammunition, fueling violence and providing the means for perpetrating abuses.
    • Grave acts of violence, including forcible recruitment of children, as well as systematic sexual violence, particularly against women and girls.
    • Political instability, weak state institutions, protests and the possibility of elections in November 2025 increase the risk of further violence and heightened tensions.
    • Near-complete impunity for violence against civilians, emboldening armed actors to perpetrate further abuses.
    • The use of aerial weapons in the densely populated areas endangers civilians.

NECESSARY ACTION:

The international community, particularly the United States (US), must impose stricter measures to prevent the illicit supply, sale, diversion or transfer of small arms, light weapons and ammunitions into Haiti. Those responsible for serious abuses, as well as providing support to and financing gangs, should be investigated and prosecuted in line with international human rights standards. The UNSC should update the list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions for supporting, preparing, ordering or committing violations or abuses of International Human Rights Law (IHRL). The HNP must vet all its members and remove any officers who have colluded with gangs or the Bwa Kale movement. 

In cooperation with the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Haitian civil society, the MSS must effectively implement and comply with its human rights safeguards, monitoring mechanisms and accountability measures. The US, European Union, Canada and other key international and regional partners should urgently provide sufficient personnel and resources needed to bolster the MSS. 

States in the region must end the collective expulsions and forced returns of Haitians and uphold their obligations under IHRL and international refugee law.