A report from the United Nations Human Rights Office published Thursday March 28, 2024, calls for immediate action in Haiti.

"Corruption, impunity and poor governance, compounded by increasing levels of gang violence, have eroded the rule of law and brought State institutions... close to collapse. The impact of generalised insecurity on the population is dire and deteriorating...and the population is severely deprived of enjoying its human rights,” says the report.

"Tackling insecurity must be a top priority to protect the population and prevent further human suffering. It is equally important to protect institutions essential to the rule of law, which have been attacked to their very core," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

The report covers the period from 25 September 2023 to 29 February 2024 and includes information provided by the Human Rights Service of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), as well as information gathered by William O’Neill, Designated Expert of the High Commissioner on the situation of Human Rights in Haiti.

"The number of people killed and injured due to gang violence significantly increased in 2023 – 4,451 killed and 1,668 injured. The number of victims skyrocketed in the first three months of 2024 – 1,554 killed and 826 injured up to 22 March."

"Gangs continued to use sexual violence to brutalise, punish and control people. Women have been raped during gang attacks on neighbourhoods, in many cases after seeing their husbands killed in front of them."

According to the report, some women are forced into exploitative sexual relations with gang members. In addition, the rape of hostages continues to be used to coerce families into paying ransoms. Sexual violence remains severely underreported and largely unpunished.

Gangs continue to recruit and abuse children – boys and girls – who are unable to leave gangs’ ranks for fear of retaliation, which, in some instances, has led to young gang members being killed for trying to escape.

Download the full report (PDF 15 pages, English) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/A_HRC_55_76_AdvanceUneditedVersion.pdf

HL/ HaitiLibre