According to the United Nations (UN) special representative to Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, there has been a “shocking increase” in violent crimes in Haiti over the past three months, ranging from lynchings and rooftop snipers to the murder of children. Salvador reported that the number of reported violent crimes, including murders, rapes, kidnappings, and lynchings, more than doubled in the first quarter of 2023, with 1,647 incidents recorded compared to 692 in the same period in 2022.
Gang violence, in particular, is increasing at an alarming rate, even in areas that were previously considered relatively safe, both in Port-au-Prince and outside the capital. According to Salvador, the “horrific violence in gang-ridden areas, including sexual violence, particularly against women and girls, is emblematic of the terror afflicting much of Haiti’s population.” Even school children have been victims of heinous crimes, including killings, kidnappings, and rape.
Salvador stated that some residents have begun to take matters into their own hands because of the increasingly violent armed gangs vying for control of neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince and the little to no police presence. On Monday, more than a dozen suspected gang members were stoned and burned alive in the capital by residents.
Salvador warned that these dynamics lead to the breakdown of social fabric with unpredictable consequences for the entire region. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been asking the Security Council to send a specialized non-UN international armed force to help police restore order, but no country has taken the lead. With the situation in Haiti deteriorating considerably in the past 48 hours, the Haitian foreign minister called for quick action, and the US representative called for additional sanctions against those who finance and foment violence and instability in the country.
In summary, the rate of violent crimes has increased alarmingly in Haiti over the past three months, including gang violence, sexual violence, and violence against children. The situation is further complicated by the lack of police presence and the influx of illicit firearms and drugs, which is fueling violence.
With residents taking matters into their own hands and the breakdown of social fabric, the UN has been asking for a specialized non-UN international armed force to help police restore order, but no country has taken the lead. The Haitian foreign minister and the US representative called for quick action and additional sanctions against those who finance and foment violence and instability in the country.
SOURCE: Ref- AFP
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