UN says at least 5,700 killed or wounded in Haiti gang crisis this year

GENEVA, Oct 2: Haiti's gang violence crisis has left at least 5,700 people dead or wounded this year while more than 1,000 women and girls have been raped, UN rights chief Volker Turk said Friday.

The high commissioner for human rights said the casualties and rapes and 230 kidnappings had been recorded by the UN mission in Haiti up to September 11 and that "the real figures are likely much higher" as an international security force in the Caribbean island was undermanned.

"Despite some success in containing their activity in parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, gangs continue to adapt and expand, re-emerging in new areas and constantly rearming," he told the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN Security Council has mandated a Gang Suppression Force intended to be 5,500 strong but it has struggled to find contributions. "The Force remains far below the strength needed" and needed "accelerated deployment", Turk said.

Related story

At least 304 dead, 1,800 hurt as 7.2 magnitude rocks Haiti

According to the US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, there are just 1,500 personnel in the force.

He said the UN had "serious concerns about the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force" by Haiti's national law enforcement and self-defence groups.

"Since the beginning of the year, more than half of all casualties occurred in the context of security operations, with hundreds of people struck by stray bullets and explosive drones," according to Turk.

"The number of summary executions carried out by specialized police units has fallen significantly -- by almost half compared with 2025. However, people allegedly associated with gangs continue to be summarily executed."

He said that "so-called self-defence groups" had killed or injured some 280 people so far this year.

Haiti is preparing to hold its first elections in a decade, as well as a constitutional referendum, on December 13.

But Turk said "a handful of powerful individuals are exploiting and perpetuating people's grievances and the weakness of state institutions to pursue their own interests. These forces are strategic and well resourced."

Many gang leaders are the target of international sanctions. But Turk said the sanctions "need to cover all those pulling the strings behind criminal networks and benefiting from them".