UN chief warns of crumbling authority, rising gang violence in Haiti

© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier A mother and her child, displaced by gang violence, sleep on the bare floor of a school in Haiti.

State authority is collapsing across Haiti as gang violence engulfs Port-au-Prince and other areas, “paralysing daily life and forcing families to flee,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday.

According to Guterres, six million Haitians require humanitarian assistance, while 1.3 million people—half of them children—have been forced from their homes. He described Haiti as “shamefully overlooked and woefully underfunded,” with less than 10 per cent of the $908 million needed for relief received so far.

“This is not a funding gap. It is a life-and-death emergency,” the UN chief said, warning that around 1.7 million people risk receiving no humanitarian aid if donors fail to act promptly.

Basic services have largely collapsed, and mass displacement has left children without education, healthcare, or safety. As of April, gang violence had disrupted schooling for roughly 243,000 children.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell highlighted the toll on Haiti’s youth, noting last year the UN verified more than 2,000 grave violations against children—a nearly 500 per cent increase from the previous year. She also reported a 700 per cent surge in child recruitment by armed groups and a 54 per cent increase in killings and maimings. Children now make up about 50 per cent of active gang members in the country.

Russell urged Security Council members to use all available leverage to protect children and support “concrete actions” to prevent further violations.

Despite the bleak outlook, Guterres pointed to “emerging signals of hope.” Coordination between the Prime Minister’s Task Force, Haitian National Police, and the Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) is reportedly improving operations.

The Kenyan-led MSS, authorized in October 2023, aims to assist overstretched Haitian authorities in stemming gang violence and restoring national security, particularly in the capital. Guterres called on ambassadors to strengthen the MSS with UN logistical and operational support and predictable financing, urging them “to act without delay and authorize an international force.”