A recent United Nations report reveals that criminal gangs in Haiti are subjecting local populations to systematic and extreme violence. William O’Neill, the UN’s designated human rights expert for the country, presented findings highlighting the suffering endured by residents in Port-au-Prince and surrounding districts.
Data covering the five-month period ending July 31 shows that 613 individuals were killed and 375 injured within two capital neighborhoods. Notably, civilians accounted for over one-third of these casualties, a group that included 77 children and 111 women. The report also documents at least 176 instances of sexual violence against women and girls, often utilized as a tactic to punish those living in territory held by rival groups.
The humanitarian impact is severe, with the UN’s political office in Haiti (BINUH) reporting that 18,000 residents have been displaced from their homes. The report details horrific individual cases, including the murder of a woman’s family and the burning of her home, the summary execution of a woman accused of being an informant, and the fatal shooting of a 71-year-old man in search of food. Furthermore, gang leaders ordered the collective execution of 17 teenagers on suspicion of disloyalty, while an ambush on a crowd returning from a football match resulted in at least 61 deaths, including young children.
