Haiti: over 5,500 killed in ten months as UN warns of “alarming levels of gang violence”
Haiti continues to face extreme insecurity, with more than 5,500 people killed between March 2025 and mid-January 2026, according to a new report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The report highlights “alarming levels of gang violence” that are severely undermining human rights across the country. In total, at least 5,519 people were killed and 2,608 injured during the period.
A significant portion of the casualties resulted from security operations targeting gangs, which accounted for 3,497 deaths and 1,742 injuries. Meanwhile, gang-related violence caused at least 1,424 deaths and 790 injuries, and attacks by self-defense groups led to 598 deaths and 76 injuries.
Widespread violence and abuses
The report notes that gangs continue to commit killings, rapes, looting, and kidnappings, while expanding their control beyond Port-au-Prince into surrounding and northern regions.
It also documents excessive use of force by security forces, including 196 cases of summary executions involving individuals suspected of gang affiliation.
Additionally, a private military company—reportedly contracted by the government—has been involved in operations using drone strikes and helicopter fire, with some actions potentially qualifying as targeted killings.
Rise of vigilante violence
The report further highlights the growing role of self-defense groups and mob justice, including lynchings of suspected gang members. Some of these acts, it notes, may have been encouraged or facilitated by elements within the police.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged Haitian authorities to restore security while fully respecting human rights. He emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the rule of law, particularly in the justice and detention systems, to combat corruption and impunity.
