Human rights situation in Haiti remains ‘very alarming’, UN report find

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Gang violence in Haiti continues to have a devastating impact on the population, according to a new report from the UN office in the country (BINUH) on human rights violations recorded during the last quarter of 2024.

Released on Tuesday, the new report highlights that at least 5,626 people have been killed and more than 2,213 injured in the past year, due to the armed gangs who control much of the capital and the country at large.

These figures reflect a sharp increase of over 1,000 fatalities compared to 2023, underscoring the unrelenting brutality gripping the nation.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted the findings in Tuesday’s press briefing in New York, pointing to a severe deterioration in Haiti’s security landscape.

Harrowing mass killings

According to BINUH, the last quarter of 2024 saw an alarming rise in deadly gang-related attacks.

At least 1,732 people were killed and 411 injured due to violence by armed groups, self-defence units and law enforcement operations.

The report highlights three large-scale massacres that resulted in over 300 deaths, with the most severe attack occurring in the Wharf Jérémie neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.

Between 6 and 11 December, at least 207 people were slaughtered by a gang led by Monel Felix, known as “Micanor,” who accused the mainly elderly victims of practicing voodoo and being responsible for the death of his child.

The armed gang executed people in their homes and a local place of worship before burning or dismembering bodies to conceal evidence. No law enforcement intervention was reported during the five-day attack.

Similar atrocities took place in Pont Sondé and Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, where coordinated gang offensives left at least 170 people dead in early December.

The murders sparked reprisals by self-defence groups, further intensifying the violence

State-sanctioned executions

Haiti’s security forces have also been implicated in grave human rights violations.

The report documents more than 250 executions carried out by police in 2024, with two children among the victims.

Many individuals were executed after being detained, while others – including street vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers – were shot for failing to provide identification.

The Public Prosecutor of Miragoâne was also cited for six extrajudicial executions, bringing the total killings by prosecutors to 42 in 2024.

Despite calls for accountability, investigations into police abuses remain largely stalled. 
BINUH noted that no officers have undergone vetting since June 2023, reflecting a deep-seated lack of supervision.

Child exploitation

Haiti has also experienced a 150 per cent surge in kidnappings with gangs increasingly targeting children.

The report raised alarm over widespread sexual violence, with at least 94 cases of rape and sexual exploitation documented in the last quarter alone.

Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable in gang-controlled areas, where they are subjected to systemic abuse.

Additionally, child trafficking and forced recruitment by armed groups continue to rise.

UNICEF has warned of a 70 per cent increase in child soldiers, with boys as young as 12 being used for kidnappings, armed confrontations and extortion.

Judicial failures

Despite the scale of the crisis, Haiti’s judicial system remains paralysed.

While some efforts were made in late 2024 – including appointments to key judicial posts – progress on high-profile massacres and corruption cases remains slow.

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé ordered investigations into the Pont Sondé and Wharf Jérémie massacres, yet no arrests or judicial actions had been taken by the end of the year.

International response

The High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasised the critical need to restore the rule of law and called on the international community to ensure the full deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS).

The UN has also urged regional governments to intensify inspections of arms shipments destined for Haiti, in line with Security Council resolutions.

With over one million people displaced and a humanitarian catastrophe continue to unfold, urgent international intervention is seen as vital to stabilising the country.