Haiti, a Country Plunged into Extreme Violence

Haiti closes an extremely violent year with almost 4,000 murders and some 3,000 kidnappings, as armed groups control three quarters of its capital while political forces seem to omit the figures and refuse to reach an agreement.

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In addition to the crisis of violence, more than 42% of its population is in need of humanitarian aid and up to 40% suffer from severe food insecurity, according to data from international organizations.

In this context, women, children and the elderly are the main victims, hundreds of thousands of people had to flee their homes to take refuge in precarious places. Other hundreds of thousands left the country through regular migration programs such as the one promoted this year by the United States, as well as undertaking dangerous journeys through irregular routes.

From January to October alone, gang violence left 3,960 dead, 1,432 injured and 2,951 victims of kidnappings, according to a shocking report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Most of the victims resided in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and in the department of Artibonite, the country's largest granary, where violence and gang actions reached unprecedented levels.

In October, the UN independent expert on human rights, William O'Neill, described as dramatic the situation of children and young people who, in addition, have no access to health care, drinking water and food, while encountering major obstacles in attending school.

Local platforms such as the Organization of Citizens for a New Haiti reported that from June to November a total of 317 people suffered sexual violence, including 75 women aged 26 to 35, another 30 aged 19 to 25, 156 aged 30 to 50, 55 over 51 and a girl of three.

Gangs are increasingly organized, neighborhoods previously considered safe, such as Carrefour Feuilles, Solino, Tabarre, Petion-Ville or areas of Delmas, have been added to the growing list of areas under the influence of armed groups, leading to an uncontrolled exodus.

The mandates of the 13 senators who were still active ended last January, causing the de facto closure of the Parliament, which since 2020 had lost all its deputies and two thirds of the legislators of the Upper House, making it dysfunctional.

With its closure, Haiti lost one of the three powers of the State, while justice is barely functioning and the executive is headed by a Prime Minister who did not receive the approval of the National Assembly.

All this at a time when Ariel Henry's administration is being questioned in the face of the unprecedented violence in Haiti. Opponents have called for his resignation in order to establish a new transitional government capable of stabilizing the country.