GENEVA, CMC – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warns against a “never-ending cycle of violence” in Haiti as gangs continue to inflict extreme cruelty on their people and vigilantes take the law into their own hands.
“Every report I get from Haiti underlines the scale of the suffering and rams home the message that Haitians need urgent support, and they need it now,” Türk said.
“I reiterate my call on the international community to deploy a time-bound, specialized, and human rights-compliant support force with a comprehensive action plan to assist Haiti’s institutions,” he added.
In April alone, more than 600 people were killed in a new wave of extreme violence that hit several districts across the capital, according to information gathered by the Human Rights Service of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).
The UN said this follows the killing of at least 846 people in the first three months of 2023, in addition to 393 injured and 395 kidnapped during that period – a 28 percent increase in violence on the previous quarter.
Overwhelmed by the ever-increasing insecurity, the UN said the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country is seeing a worrying increase in mob killings and lynchings of alleged gang members, with at least 164 of these murders documented in April.
“The State must protect its citizens. People should be able to rely on the police and the judicial authorities to tackle gang violence,” Türk said.
“But the reality is that the State cannot respond. People are thus taking the law into their own hands. But this will only fuel the spiral of violence.”
The UN Human Rights Office and BINUH on Tuesday launched their quarterly update on Haiti, which highlights the emergence of vigilante groups, following calls by some political figures and journalists for citizens to form self-defense organizations to fight gang violence.
The report also underscores that the violence is becoming more extreme and frequent and spreading relentlessly as gangs seek to extend their control.
It said that areas of the capital previously considered safe, notably Kenscoff and Pétion Ville and the Artibonite department, are now affected.
Among other modus operandi used by gangs, the report identifies incidents of snipers indiscriminately shooting at people on the street or firing into homes and of people being burned alive on public transport.
“We must not forget that extreme poverty and the lack of basic services lie at the root of the current violence and the gangs’ power over communities. With support from the international community, the government must do its utmost to comply with its obligation to provide people with regular and unimpeded access to clean water, food, health, and shelter,” Türk said.
“The current human rights emergency urgently calls for a robust response,” he added.
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