The United Nations has urged the international community to tighten controls on arms trafficking to Haiti as gang violence continues to drive the country into a worsening humanitarian crisis. A report released on Friday by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights revealed that nearly 13 people are killed every day in Haiti, with at least 3,451 lives lost since January.
U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk called for immediate action, stating, “No more lives should be lost to this senseless criminality.” The ongoing violence has exacerbated the suffering of the Haitian people, with gangs tightening their grip on the country and intensifying the humanitarian disaster.
Haiti initially requested U.N. assistance in 2022, leading to the approval of a mission last year. However, only a small portion of the promised troops from supporting nations has arrived, and funding remains insufficient. Haitian officials have asked the U.N. to consider transitioning the mission into a formal peacekeeping operation to secure stable resources and the necessary personnel to confront the escalating crisis.
Turk emphasized that the mission requires “adequate and sufficient equipment and personnel to counter the criminal gangs effectively and sustainably,” as the gangs have shown no signs of slowing their reign of terror. In response to the U.N. mission’s first deployment in June, gangs have recruited children into their ranks, further deepening the crisis. Nearly 100 children have been killed this year alone, either as victims of gang attacks or in police operations.
Arms trafficking has fueled the violence, with weapons flowing into Haiti from the United States, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, despite an international arms embargo. The report highlighted how poorly monitored borders, coastlines, and airspaces are allowing gangs to obtain high-caliber weapons, drones, boats, and an “endless supply of bullets.”
The violence has displaced over 700,000 people, nearly doubling the number of internally displaced persons in just six months. Additionally, an estimated 1.6 million people are facing emergency food insecurity, nearing famine conditions. As the U.N. mandate for the security force is set to expire, the need for swift international intervention has never been more urgent.