PORT-AU-PRINCE — At least 1,520 people were killed and 609 injured between April and June this year as armed gang violence surged across Haiti, according to a new United Nations report released Friday. The report paints a grim picture of deepening insecurity, mass displacement, and human rights violations in the capital and surrounding regions.
The data mirrors figures from the first quarter of 2025, when 1,617 people were killed and 580 injured. Most of the deaths and injuries occurred in Port-au-Prince and in the Artibonite and Centre departments.
In one case in May, a gang in the capital reportedly killed 15 elderly men, slitting their throats in what they described as a voodoo “sacrifice.” The victims, aged between 70 and 80, were burned after the killings.
“The gangs continue to spread fear, killing, raping, and kidnapping to assert control over communities,” the UN Mission in Haiti (BINUH) stated in the report.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gangs have rapidly expanded their grip on Haiti. The UN now estimates they control about 85% of Port-au-Prince. In recent months, they have pushed deeper into Artibonite and Centre, regions that had been relatively stable.
In June alone, gang activity displaced 45,000 people in the two departments. The total number of internally displaced people in these areas now exceeds 240,000, according to the International Organization for Migration.
In Mirebalais, two gangs seized control of entry and exit routes and organized public cleaning and painting campaigns to tighten their hold. Due to mass flight from the town, the gangs allegedly brought in residents from neighborhoods they control in the capital to carry out the work.
These same groups have committed documented crimes, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, trafficking, and child exploitation.
Gang rape now accounts for 85% of all recorded sexual assaults, according to the UN. In one incident in Cité Soleil, two women were gang raped, murdered, and burned in a targeted attack for entering a gang-restricted area.
While gangs remain the main perpetrators of violence, state security forces and self-defense groups have also committed abuses. The UN found that 64% of the deaths and injuries from April to June occurred during anti-gang operations. These included 73 cases of summary execution and the use of explosive drones.
In Miragoâne, a prosecutor reportedly killed 27 individuals accused of gang affiliation in that period, adding to 83 alleged executions since 2022.
Self-defense groups, formed in response to the unchecked gang violence, caused 12% of the casualties. In one of the worst attacks, vigilantes killed over 55 people with machetes in Petit-Rivière in late May. The victims, mostly farmers attending a religious gathering, were accused of supporting a gang. Their bodies were later burned.
Beyond the killings, armed groups continue to destroy the economic backbone of local communities. In April, two gangs hijacked a radio station, broadcasted pro-gang messages, and burned down a nearby market after stealing broadcasting equipment.
“The violence is not only stealing lives but also stripping people of their livelihoods,” said Ulrika Richardson UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti.
The humanitarian toll is rising sharply. Over 1.3 million Haitians are now displaced, and half the population faces severe food insecurity. Yet the UN’s humanitarian response plan for Haiti is only 8% funded.
The UN has called for urgent international support both financial and political.
“The Haitian government must intensify its efforts to dismantle armed groups while upholding human rights and international standards on the use of force,” BINUH said.
The report warns that unless security improves, the cycle of violence, displacement, and abuse will continue to spiral with devastating consequences for Haiti’s future.
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