The UN stated On Monday, he said there was still hope to improve the situation in Haiti and restore national security amid shifting gang fronts, emphasizing the United Nations’ commitment to monitoring human rights and supporting authorities in the fight Gang violence.
The statement came following the liberation of the territory from gangs through increased police presence, indicating progress in authorities’ efforts to combat armed groups. William O’Neill, the United Nations-designated expert on the human rights situation in Haiti, noted that the country is in a difficult but promising time and emphasized his commitment to advising the government and human rights organizations in the country. He stressed that the United Nations will continue to monitor the situation and support authorities in ending gang violence and promoting human rights.
However, the expert expressed concerns about widespread distribution corruptionWeak accountability mechanisms and prevailing impunity not only undermine human rights, but also enable the current security crisis. He spoke about the consequences of the crisis he witnessed during his 10-day visit to the country, explaining how armed gangs controlled up to 90 percent of the Haitian capital and surrounding areas. The groups have committed numerous human rights violations, including murder, kidnapping, extortion and rape of women and girls while battling Haitian security forces for territorial control. He also lamented the high rate of internal displacement, with 1.4 million people forced to leave their homes.
After the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, armed gangs began their territorial campaigns, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations has already warned that millions of Haitians face acute starvation as armed gangs seized control of key roads, farmland and ports. Political instability and the collapse of state authority caused by corruption and impunity have undermined trust in state institutions and facilitated the spread of gangs and the consolidation of power.
International organizations reported a cholera outbreak in 2025, exacerbated by the collapse of the health system as a result of recurring attacks on hospitals and health workers. The crisis has also worsened the rights of Haitian youth, as gangs systematically exploit children for criminal activities, taking advantage of poverty and lack of access to food to recruit them.
The United Nations has taken measures to curb gang violence, including establishing the Multinational Security Assistance Mission in 2024 and imposing an arms embargo in 2025. However, these measures have so far failed to curb the spread of gangs and violence continues to escalate.
