GENEVA, June 15: Gang violence has killed at least 2,300 people in Haiti this year, while nearly 100 have been kidnapped, the United Nations said Monday.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk called on the authorities to tackle the rampant impunity in the crisis-ravaged Caribbean nation of 12 million people.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has for years been plagued by instability as powerful gangs carry out rampant killings, rapes, looting and kidnappings.
"In Haiti, gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings since the start of the year," said Turk.
At least 304 dead, 1,800 hurt as 7.2 magnitude rocks Haiti
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"I urge the authorities to move quickly on the judicial units to tackle impunity.
"The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) is urgently needed and needs to operate in line with international human rights law," the UN high commissioner for human rights said.
The UN Security Council last year gave its approval to the new international GSF tasked with neutralising the gangs.
The force will gradually replace the previous Multinational Mission to Support the Haitian Police (MMAS).
The council green-lit the GSF at the United States' urging last September amid concerns that the MMAS was under-equipped and under-funded.
An initial deployment plan has been approved, adhering to the ceiling of 5,500 troops and police officers authorised by the Security Council, with deployments set to take place in phases.
Turk was giving his global update at the opening of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The 47-country council meets for three regular sessions a year in Geneva, with the current session, which lasts until July 7, being the second of 2026.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Haiti on Tuesday to show solidarity with victims of gang violence, his spokesman Farhan Haq said last week.
This will be "a solidarity visit, during which he will meet men, women and children whose lives have been affected by violence", Haq told reporters.
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