According to a UN rights specialist for the conflict-ridden Caribbean country, Haiti now needs between 4,000 and 5,000 foreign police to assist in combat “catastrophic” gang violence that targets important persons as well as hospitals, schools, banks, and other vital institutions.
William O’Neill stated in July of last year that Haiti needs between 1,000 and 2,000 foreign police who are skilled in dealing with gangs. He said that today’s circumstances are so dire that the Haitian National Police needs twice as many officers as before to assist them in regaining control of the situation and stopping violations of human rights.
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O’Neill spoke at a press conference to introduce a report from the UN Human Rights Office that he assisted in writing. The report demanded that urgent action be taken to address the “cataclysmic” situation in Haiti, where gang violence, corruption, and impunity have weakened state institutions and undermined the rule of law” close to collapse”.
According to the research, which covered the five months that ended in February, gangs are still recruiting and abusing both boys and girls, and some of the victims have even lost their lives trying to flee.
Gangs still commit acts of sexual violence “to brutalize, punish and control people”, the study stated that gang violence in areas had resulted in the rape of women, “in many cases after seeing their husbands killed in front of them”.
The number of victims of gang violence rose sharply in 2023, reaching 4,451 fatalities and 1,668 injuries, according to the report. By March 22 of this year, the figures had risen to 1,554 fatalities and 826 injuries. In response to the rising levels of gang violence, the report stated, “self-defense brigades” have taken matters into their own hands, “at least 528 cases of lynching were reported in 2023 and a further 59 in 2024”.
A global security operation must be sent to Haiti immediately to assist the country’s police in putting an end to violence and re-establishing the rule of law, as stated in the human rights assessment. To stop the trafficking of guns and ammunition, mostly from the United States to gangs and other groups, it also called for stricter national and international regulations.
The UN human rights chief, who is based in Geneva, appointed O’Neill. He claimed that during the last four to five weeks, there have been 18 documented attacks on hospitals, attacks on schools, including one that was set on fire three days ago, and an attack on an elite academic institution in Haiti that took place on Wednesday night. O’Neill described these as “alarming” targets against important institutions and individuals. The two largest jails in Haiti have also been overrun by gangs.
He said that gangs had attempted twice to seize the National Palace and that they were going after journalists, human rights advocates, and everyone else they saw to be a danger to their ability to maintain control over the area.
According to O’Neill, another recent development noted by the UN human rights team in Haiti is the increasing involvement of young teens in frontline operations and attacks, in addition to their traditional roles as cooks, lookouts, couriers, and sex slaves.
Approximately 1.4 million Haitians are in danger of starvation as a result of the airport and road closures. A UN envoy stated that “given the last three to four weeks, we’re probably close to 400,000, if not over that,” indicating that the number of people abandoning their homes has climbed from 50,000 in July of last year to at least 362,000.
According to O’Neill, it is imperative to restore security and get the international security force into Haiti immediately.
It is also “crucial” and “absolutely vital” to get the interim presidential council formally established and functioning, according to O’Neill, who expressed hope that this may happen as soon as next week. The UN expert said that, among other reasons, President William Ruto of Kenya has stated he will not send police to oversee the international security operation unless he has a counterpart from Haiti.
According to O’Neill, money is also badly needed for the trust fund that would support the multinational police operation.
According to him, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a plea for a force in July, and Haiti requested one in October 2022 to fight gangs.
O’Neill noted, “We’re still waiting, and every day lost means more people die, and more women and girls get raped, and more people flee their homes.” He added, “So the sooner the better.”
