A new report by the United Nations (UN) describes the “outrageous practices” used by gangs in Haiti to brutalize, punish, and control the civil population. According to the report, violence has captured entire families including young children. The gangs recruit, abuse, and occasionally murder young people who attempt to flee, according to the report. Volker Türk, the UN’s chief human rights officer, described the situation as “cataclysmic.” He added that weapons are still being brought into the country and issued a warning.
The report also states that “many women and young girls have been subjected to rape, including collective rape, during gang attacks.” These incidents occurred while the victims were still living in their homes. This so often happened after they witnessed the murder of their husbands. One method the gangs deliberately used to spread terror in communities where they fought for control was sexual violence.
The report continues by stating that several rape victims had either passed away or sustained injuries as a result of the attacks. The report claims that young people were also harmed by Haiti’s armed criminal gangs. In one particular case, a three-month-old baby was the victim of a violent outburst. Even though entire families were burned alive in their houses, this area of the capital was considered safe.
The report’s primary focus was the violence from September 2023 to February 2024. It concluded that criminal gangs had “significantly increased in intensity” and geographically extended their armed attacks. With so much of the capital under the control of armed groups, access to emergency services has become almost non-existent. “There are only two ambulances that are able to circulate in the proximity of the areas affected by the armed violence,” said Ms.Silva, head of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).
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Henry, who took over as president of Haiti following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, recently stated that he would step down as soon as a committee for transition was formed. Although, reaching that stage has proved exceedingly difficult due to squabbles among party leaders. In the meantime, the number of victims is skyrocketing. According to the UN rights office, gang violence claimed 4,451 lives last year and injured 1,668 more. Additionally, it said that as of March 22, 826 people had been injured due to the violence and 1,554 people had perished in just the first three months of 2024 due to violence.
The study detailed widespread sexual violence, including the rape of hostages, women who have witnessed their spouses slaughtered in front of them, and women coerced into abusive sexual relationships with gang members. It also highlighted the recruitment and abuse of children. Specifically those who are unable to leave the ranks of gangs for fear of retaliation. “All these practices are outrageous and must stop at once,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
Owing to the violence, which has captued the lives of entire families, there were at least 528 examples of lynchings recorded last year. The record includes 18 women and, and 59 more have been documented so far this year.
Haiti’s Council Issues Its First Statement
As mentioned, violence in Haiti has captured plenty of people. Members of a transitional presidential council who will be responsible for selecting a new prime minister issued their first official statement on Wednesday, pledging to restore “public and democratic order” in Haiti. The proclamation was made public more than a month after gangs in Port-au-Prince began targeting significant government structures.
Despite the fact that only eight of the council’s purported nine members signed the statement, it is nevertheless thought to be a sign that the difficult and drawn-out nomination process is almost over and the council may soon begin its official duties. Upon the council’s official installation, the members pledged to assist in “putting Haiti back on the path of democratic legitimacy, stability, and dignity.” The members declared that they had created the standards and procedures for selecting a ministerial cabinet. They also declared this procedure for a new prime minister, and a council president.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who’s still barred from entering Haiti, has declared he’ll resign when the council is properly formed. “We must come together at this critical juncture. For everyone’s welfare and a better future for our nation, it is essential that the entire country unites. Thus, in order to solve this catastrophe, the council members declared.
Written by Dijana Reedfields
Sources:
Barron’s – Haiti Situation ‘Cataclysmic’: UN
AP News – Haiti’s transitional council issues its first statement, signaling its creation is nearly complete
BBC News – Haiti’s children caught in ‘cataclysm’ of gang violence
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Inset Image by Marco Dormino Courtesy Of United Nations Photo‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
