Haiti gang crisis killed or wounded 5,700, UN says

Haiti's gang violence crisis has left at least 5,700 people dead or wounded this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council on Friday, October 2.

Turk said the UN mission in Haiti recorded the casualties from January 1 to September 11. He said more than 1,000 women and girls had been raped and 230 people kidnapped, and said the real figures were likely much higher.

Turk said gangs had been contained in some parts of Port-au-Prince but continued to adapt, expand, re-emerge in new areas and rearm.

The UN Security Council has mandated a Gang Suppression Force intended to have 5,500 personnel, but Turk said it remained far below the strength needed and required faster deployment. US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the force had about 1,500 personnel.

Turk said the UN had serious concerns about unnecessary and disproportionate force by Haiti's national law enforcement and self-defence groups. He said more than half of all casualties this year occurred during security operations, with hundreds of people hit by stray bullets and explosive drones.

He said summary executions by specialised police units had fallen by almost half compared with 2025, but that people allegedly associated with gangs continued to be summarily executed. He said self-defence groups had killed or injured about 280 people so far this year.

Haiti is preparing to hold its first elections in a decade and a constitutional referendum on December 13. Turk said powerful people were exploiting grievances and weak state institutions for their own interests, and said sanctions should cover everyone directing and benefiting from criminal networks.