On September 27, 2024, the United Nations released a report highlighting a severe humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where nearly 13 people are killed daily amid escalating gang violence. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, reported that at least 3,451 people have died since January, urging tighter controls on arms trafficking and additional support for Haitian police.
The U.N. mission, initially requested by Haiti in 2022, has seen limited troop deployment and insufficient funding. Turk emphasized the need for adequate resources to combat criminal gangs effectively. The report indicated that violence has spread beyond the capital, exacerbated by arms trafficking from the U.S., Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, despite an international arms embargo.
As violence escalates, the number of internally displaced persons has surged to over 700,000, with 1.6 million facing emergency food insecurity, marking a critical global issue requiring immediate attention.