UNITED NATIONS, CMC – A specialized force must be deployed to urgently help Haitian authorities tackle a tsunami of gang violence, as rapes, sniper killings, and kidnappings become daily threats, the spokesperson for the UN rights chief said on Tuesday.
“We are gravely concerned that extreme violence continues to spiral out of control in Haiti,” said Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk.
UN officials said that gang clashes left at least 208 dead, 164 injured, and 101 kidnapped in the first two weeks of March alone.
Mirroring those grave concerns, UN Haiti issued a statement early Tuesday, strongly condemning the “extreme violence perpetrated by armed gangs” and expressing its support for the Haitian people.
Hurtado quoted the High Commissioner as saying that as ever more violent and frequent clashes between rival gangs in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and other regions are killing and harming hundreds and displacing thousands, action is needed now.
“We call on the international community to urgently consider deploying a time-bound specialized support force under conditions that conform to international human rights laws and norms, with a comprehensive and precise action plan.”
The High Commissioner also urged Haitian authorities to address the grave situation.
“People must be able to return to their homes under safe and dignified conditions,” she said, calling on authorities to strengthen National Police capacities, undertake profound judicial reform, and involve more support from the international community.
“To break the cycle of violence, corruption, and impunity, all those responsible, including those providing support and finance to the gangs, must be prosecuted and tried according to the rule of law. All victims’ rights to truth, justice, and reparations must be fulfilled.”
The High Commissioner’s urgent call for action echoes pleas for increased assistance made on Saturday by a group of senior UN officials following a fact-finding mission to Haiti last week.
Hurtado said that most victims were killed or injured by snipers who reportedly randomly shot at people in their homes or on the streets. Gangs against women and girls also use sexual violence to terrorize, subjugate, and punish the population.
Gang members frequently use sexual violence against abducted girls to pressure families to pay a ransom.
Stray bullets have hit students and teachers during gang confrontations, and the kidnapping of parents and students in the vicinity of schools has surged, forcing many of them to close. Without the protective environment of schools, many children have been forcibly recruited by armed gangs, the High Commissioner’s spokesperson said, adding, “people are fleeing to escape the daily danger,” she said.
As of mid-March, at least 160,000 people have been displaced and are in a precarious situation, staying with friends or relatives and having to share meager resources. A quarter of those displaced lives in makeshift settlements with minimal access to essential drinking water and sanitation services.
Chronic instability and gang violence have contributed to surging prices and food insecurity. Half of the population does not have enough to eat, and in some areas, such as Cité Soleil, hunger has reached particularly alarming levels, she said.
During his visit to Haiti in February, Hurtado recalled that Türk issued “a wake-up call” to the international community that has yet to be acted upon.
She said, given the grave situation. It is essential that “his recommendations are more urgent than ever.”
and then 