Since January, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (Binuh) registered more than 4,000 people deliberately killed, an increase of 24 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
“The capital city was for all effects paralyzed by gangs and isolated Due to the continuous suspension of international commercial flights to the International Airport, “said Miroslav Jenča, deputy general secretary of the Americas in the Department of Political Affairs (DPPA), to ambassadors in the Security Council on Wednesday.
Having visited the country recently, he warned that, Gangs have “strengthened their support point”that now affects all the communes of the Metropolitan Area of Puerto Príncipe and beyond, “push the situation closer to the edge.”
Called the international community to Acting decisively and urgently or the “total collapse of the state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario”.
Gang control expands
Ghada Fathi Waly, executive director of the UN Drug and Crime Office (UNODC), echoed that warning.
“As gang control expands, the state’s ability to govern is quickly reduced, with social, economic and security implications,” he told the ambassadors, informing remotely from Vienna.
“This erosion of the legitimacy of the State has cascade effects,” he said, and legal trade is paralyzed as gangs control the main trade routes, such conditions that worsen “already levels of food insecurity and humanitarian needs,” he added.
Increase in ‘vigilante’ groups
Amid the growing public frustration with the limited protection capacity of the State, the “vigilant” or self -defense groups are now gaining a popular attraction.
Although some are motivated by the urgent need to protect their communities, many operate outside the existing legal frameworks, in some cases, participating in extrajudicial actions and coluding with gangs.
The emergence of these actors is promoting the demand for military weapons and weapons, “feeding illicit weapons markets and increasing the risk that lawful weapons will deviate to criminal elements,” Waly said.
Trafficking in people
Meanwhile, the broader deterioration of the situation and the economic situation in the capital and the rest of the country continues to feed a more acute escalation in human rights violations.
Despite the persistent sub -information from sexual violence due to fear of reprisals, social stigma and lack of confidence in institutions, Binuh reported an increase in sexual violence committed by gangs in the last three months.
In May, the Haitian police raided a medical center in Pétion-Ville suspected of being involved in the illicit trade trade, since now accusations of traffic are emerging in people with the purpose of eliminating organs.
As the situation in Haiti remains desperate, “there is no time to lose,” Jenča urged.