Haiti is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster, as escalating gang violence has displaced over 60,000 individuals in a matter of weeks, according to a warning issued by the United Nations on Monday. UN Special Representative María Isabel Salvador highlighted to the Security Council that the Caribbean nation is nearing a “point of no return,” with February and March alone accounting for over 1,000 fatalities and nearly 400 injuries.
The roots of the current crisis are entrenched in ongoing instability, which was significantly exacerbated by President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in 2021. His death resulted in a power vacuum, unleashing political chaos and enabling gangs to solidify their control over most of Port-au-Prince and extend their reach to formerly safe areas, as reported by Human Rights Watch (HRW). This has particularly endangered women and children, who are increasingly subjected to abuses, sexual violence, and kidnappings.
The crisis has placed intense pressure on humanitarian operations, which are grappling with logistical constraints due to roadblocks, flight suspensions, and funding shortages. Haiti’s healthcare and basic infrastructure systems are disintegrating, further complicating the delivery of essential services.
Efforts by Haiti’s transitional government, established in 2024, to curb violence have been insufficient. The government declared a state of emergency amid rising public unrest, while self-defense groups, albeit active, are unable to counter gang dominance effectively. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has appealed for calm and underscored the necessity of restoring constitutional governance through the transitional council, as detailed in a recent statement.
International coordination is critical, as underscored by the UN’s Resolution 2699, which established a support mission to bolster Haiti’s police force. This comes at a time when the world’s attention is demanded urgently to avert further societal breakdown.
The alarming escalation of the crisis, as recorded by the UN’s migration agency (IOM) in Haiti, shows forced displacement at an unprecedented scale, highlighting that families are continuously uprooted and forced into a cycle of dispossession, according to Grégoire Goodstein, IOM’s head in Haiti. Past warnings from the UN noted the escalation as historically severe, with displacement rates three times higher than last year.