According to the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), violence in the country's capital claimed the lives of over 600 people in the month of April alone. This follows a previous report stating that at least 846 individuals were killed in the first three months of 2023. Overall, BINUH reported a 28% increase in the number of victims of killings, injuries, and kidnappings in the first quarter of the year, with a total of 1,634 cases recorded.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) highlighted a rise in vigilantism, with mob killings and lynchings of alleged gang members becoming more frequent as "vigilantes take the law into their own hands." In April, at least 164 such murders were documented. The emergence of vigilante groups is attributed to calls made by certain political figures and journalists for citizens to form self-defense organizations to combat gang violence. The UN rights chief emphasized that such vigilantism will only contribute to a further escalation of violence.
The latest report from OHCHR and BINUH also sheds light on the extreme violence perpetrated by gangs in Haiti. Gang members employ snipers on rooftops to indiscriminately target individuals engaged in their daily activities. Additionally, they engage in killing sprees within neighborhoods, burning people alive in public transportation vehicles, and executing anyone perceived as opposing their activities. The report further exposes the use of sexual violence, including collective rape, as a means to terrorize and inflict pain on populations under the control of rival gangs. A local human rights organization cited in the report states that over the past year, at least 652 women and girls have been subjected to individual and collective rape in gang-controlled areas.
The report identifies poverty and the lack of basic services as root causes contributing to the dominance of gangs in the country. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) previously warned that approximately 4.9 million people, half of Haiti's population, were experiencing difficulties accessing food. The UN rights chief called on the government, supported by the international community, to fulfill its obligation of providing regular and unimpeded access to clean water, food, health services, and shelter. Urgent action is needed to address this dire human rights emergency.
Mr. Türk, the UN rights chief, reiterated the importance of coordinated international action and called for the deployment of a time-bound, specialized, and human rights-compliant support force with a comprehensive action plan to assist Haiti's institutions. The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution last month, sponsored by Haiti itself, which urged the appointment of an independent rights expert on Haiti. The resolution emphasized the need for coordinated and targeted international action. In line with this resolution, the newly appointed independent expert, William O'Neill, will focus on the situation of children, human trafficking, and provide advice and technical assistance to the Haitian Government, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations in their efforts to promote and protect human rights. It is important to note that independent rights experts appointed by the United Nations rights chief are not UN staff and are not remunerated for their work
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