Haiti’s capital is under “near-total control” by criminal gangs as violence intensifies, bringing the Caribbean nation closer to collapse, senior U.N. officials stated on Wednesday.
As reported by Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, to the U.N. Security Council, gangs now dominate approximately 90% of Port-au-Prince. Expansion into previously calm regions by these gangs is also noted.
“Southern Haiti, formerly shielded from the unrest, is experiencing a significant rise in gang-related occurrences,” Waly explained. “In the eastern areas, criminal organizations are taking advantage of land routes, notably significant crossings like Belladere and Malpasse, where there have been incidents involving police and customs officials.”
U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca informed the council that “the ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince” and their strengthened foothold in the capital and beyond is “pushing the situation closer to the brink.”
“While the expansion of territorial control brings gangs additional sources of revenue and bargaining power,” the U.N. experts said in the report, “these attacks are also backed by individuals trying to destabilize the political transition for their own political goals.”
Police officers patrol a neighborhood amid gang-related violence in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 25, 2023. (RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for Haiti in September 2024, warning Americans against visiting due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and limited healthcare.
In May, the Trump administration designated two of Haiti’s most powerful gang networks, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.
