Haiti in crisis: Over 150 killed as gang violence surges
Throughout the week, more than 150 people lost their lives in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, due to escalating street violence. This information was reported on Wednesday by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who blamed local gangs for the surge in violence.
6:59 AM EST, November 21, 2024
Turk reported in a press release that, since November 11, over 150 people have lost their lives, 92 have been injured, and approximately 20,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes.
UN data indicates that since the beginning of the year, over 4,500 residents of Haiti (specifically 4,544) have died due to internal gang conflicts. The number of injured has exceeded 2,000 (2,060), and about 700,000 people, half of whom are children, have become internally displaced.
Recent events in the country's capital, according to Turk, are "a harbinger of the worst to come." The UN Commissioner emphatically stated that "Haiti must not be allowed to descend further into chaos" and called for a swift end to the violence.
Haiti is experiencing significant political turmoil and gang conflicts. Currently, 80% of Port-au-Prince is under the control of armed criminals.
In late October, the UN in Haiti highlighted that, due to the effective absence of state officials, gangs are increasingly assuming responsibilities typically handled by the police and judicial authorities and are starting to exert control over the capital.
On November 11, a new Prime Minister of Haiti, Alix Didier Fils-Aime, was sworn in. He declared that his priority would be "restoring security" in the country.
