At least 70 people, including ten women and three children, were killed in a massacre in Haiti. According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, the attack was carried out by members of the Grand Grif gang in the town of Pont-Sonde on October 4, 2024.
UN spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan expressed horror at the incident, stating that gang members opened fire on the population with automatic rifles. At least 16 of the injured are in serious condition, including two gang members shot by Haitian police.
During the attack, the Grand Grif gang also set fire to at least 45 houses and 34 vehicles, forcing many residents to flee. Kheetan reiterated the call for increased financial and logistical support for the recently deployed Multinational Security Support Mission, aimed at reinforcing security in Haiti, which has been plagued by gang violence controlling the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other areas.
The unprecedented assault on civilians began on Thursday, with gang members invading the region and causing widespread panic. The violence escalated throughout the day, resulting in numerous casualties in Pont-Sonde, which is now under the control of the gang.
Thousands of residents have fled to the main public square in Saint Marc, approximately 100 kilometers from the capital. This attack occurred shortly after the imposition of sanctions by the United States and the United Nations against Grand Grif leader Luckson Elan.
Despite the presence of around 400 soldiers from the Multinational Security Support Mission led by Kenya, the violence continues. Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille condemned the brutal attack on innocent civilians, stating that it is an assault on the entire Haitian nation.
According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), at least 1,379 people fell victim to armed gang violence in Haiti during the second quarter of 2024, raising the total number of victims in the first half of the year to nearly 3,900. In 2023, violence resulted in 8,000 deaths and injuries in Haiti, with over 110,000 people displaced since June 2024.