Armed gang violence in Haiti has killed at least 78 people in less than a week, deepening fears that the Caribbean nation is slipping further into collapse as heavily armed groups continue battling for control of neighborhoods surrounding the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The latest wave of bloodshed erupted in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince, particularly in the communes of Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets, where rival gangs have been fighting for territorial control.
According to preliminary figures released by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), at least 78 people have been killed and 66 others injured since the violence escalated over the weekend. Ten of those killed were civilians who were not involved in the fighting.
The violence has also displaced more than 5,000 people, many of whom have fled toward roads near Haiti’s main international airport in search of safety.
The new clashes come only days after another wave of violence forced hospitals in Cité Soleil to evacuate patients, including newborn babies, as armed groups exchanged gunfire near medical facilities.
Aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) temporarily suspended operations in some affected areas after one of its guards was struck by a stray bullet during the fighting.
Residents described scenes of panic as gangs burned homes, looted communities, and exchanged heavy gunfire in densely populated neighborhoods.
“I am now sleeping in the street,” one displaced resident told the Associated Press after fleeing her neighborhood during the attacks.
Haiti has remained trapped in a worsening security crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
The country currently has no president, while gangs are estimated to control between 70% and 90% of Port-au-Prince, according to various UN and international assessments.
Police say armed groups have expanded beyond the capital into rural areas, carrying out kidnappings, mass killings, sexual violence and extortion.
Despite the deployment of a Kenya-led multinational security mission backed by the United Nations, gangs continue to overpower large parts of the country.
The mission, now reorganized into a larger international Gang Suppression Force, has struggled with limited personnel and equipment while gang attacks continue escalating.
International organizations warn that Haiti’s humanitarian crisis is rapidly worsening.
More than 1.4 million people have reportedly been displaced nationwide due to gang violence, while food insecurity and the collapse of healthcare services continue affecting large sections of the population.
The latest violence has further weakened hopes that Haiti can organize stable national elections anytime soon, with authorities admitting that security conditions remain far too dangerous in many parts of the country.
