Haiti at ‘difficult yet promising moment,’ says UN expert amid ongoing violence

Haiti is showing a “glimmer of hope” amid its deepening security and humanitarian crisis, according to a United Nations human rights expert, even as gang violence continues to displace hundreds of thousands and destabilize the country.

William O’Neill, the UN’s designated expert on the human rights situation in Haiti, said recent efforts to reclaim territory from armed groups, coupled with a more “motivated and visible” police presence, have offered some signs of progress.

Speaking to journalists at United Nations Headquarters on Monday following a 10-day mission to the country, O’Neill warned that the overall situation remains dire.

“The on-going human rights crisis creates massive suffering for the Haitian people, especially the most vulnerable,” he said.

The crisis has forced at least 1.4 million people—primarily in the capital, Port-au-Prince—to flee their homes due to escalating gang violence. O’Neill described the situation as an “unprecedented level of internal displacement.”

According to UN estimates, at least 26 gangs control up to 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Many of these groups are made up in part by minors, with roughly half of gang members believed to be under the age of 18.

These gangs have been accused of widespread abuses, including extortion, kidnapping for ransom, rape and murder, as they battle security forces for control of territory.

O’Neill said thousands of Haitians remain trapped in gang-controlled zones or along what he described as “shifting frontlines,” navigating “invisible borders” that severely restrict movement and access to basic services.

He highlighted the disproportionate impact on women and girls, who face layered vulnerabilities.

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“They face discrimination for being girls, for living in gang-controlled neighborhoods, and for being poor. ‘I just want to live well and safely,’ one girl told me, ‘because this is my country,’” he said.

The security crisis is compounded by a worsening humanitarian situation, driven by persistent violence, economic hardship and recurring natural disasters, including floods, droughts and earthquakes.

Haiti also continues to grapple with political instability following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The country has not held presidential elections since, though authorities have indicated that polls could take place later this year.

O’Neill, whose mandate includes advising the Haitian government and civil society on human rights protections, said he remains “deeply concerned about corruption, impunity and the weakness of accountability mechanisms.”

Despite the challenges, he expressed cautious optimism about the country’s path forward.

“If we can help Haiti address insecurity, fight corruption and impunity, and protect human rights, then everyone will prosper,” he said, describing the current period as “a difficult yet promising moment.”