Demands for increased aid and support for police are growing in response to the surge in violence in the Caribbean nation since the end of last year.
Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN special representative to the Caribbean nation, addressed the UN Security Council on Monday.
“As gang violence expands into new areas of the country, the Haitian population experiences heightened vulnerability and skepticism regarding the state’s ability to fulfill their needs,” Salvador stated.
“Haiti risks descending into total chaos,” she highlighted, emphasizing the urgent need for aid and support for the international forces deployed to combat rampant gang violence.
She appealed, “I urge you to remain actively engaged and address the country and its people’s pressing needs.”
The Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, Haiti, grapples with severe political instability, with significant portions of the country under the control of rival armed gangs responsible for widespread murders, rapes, and kidnappings.
Salvador drew attention to cholera outbreaks and gender-based violence, further exacerbated by the deteriorating security situation.
In a recent development, Salvador reported that gangs took over the city of Mirebalais in central Haiti, releasing over 500 prisoners during the attack, marking the fifth prison break in less than a year, representing “a deliberate effort to establish dominance, dismantle institutions, and instill fear.”
Armed gangs are increasingly vying for control of the capital, Port-au-Prince, with violence escalating as they attempt to establish new territories.
A Kenyan-led force, authorized by the UN, has struggled to counter the gangs since its deployment began in June of last year, with the mission currently comprising about 1,000 police officers from six countries, falling short of the initially planned 2,500.
Kenya’s national security adviser, Monica Juma, informed the council via a video briefing from Nairobi, stating that the force has entered “a decisive phase of its operation,” facing coordinated attacks by gangs against people and strategic installations, targeting political entities.
While the Haitian police and the multinational force have conducted extensive anti-gang operations and achieved some progress, especially in securing key infrastructure, a significant gap persists.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also cautioned that further international support is “immediately required to prevent the capital from slipping further toward the brink,” according to an unpublished report accessed by the AFP news agency.
The report highlighted the surge in violence, with the UN documenting 2,660 homicides in the three months since December 2024, representing a 41.3 percent increase over the previous quarter.
However, the report also noted a substantial civilian toll in efforts to combat the gangs.
Over the period, anti-gang operations resulted in 702 deaths, with 21 percent estimated to be innocent civilians, according to the report.
Additionally, there was a concerning rise in gender-based violence, with 347 incidents reported in the five months to February 2025, UN data showed.
Collective rape was identified as the most frequent violation, accounting for 61 percent of cases.
