‘Glimmer of Hope’ in Haiti Amid Shifting Gang Frontlines

At least 1.4 million people, primarily in Port-au-Prince, have been displaced by gang violence, leading to what the UN’s Designated Expert on human rights in Haiti, William O’Neill, calls an “unprecedented level of internal displacement.”

Following a 10-day mission to Haiti, O’Neill addressed journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York, stating that the ongoing human rights crisis is causing immense suffering for Haitians, particularly the vulnerable.

A minimum of 26 gangs control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince and nearby areas, with about half of the gang members being children under 18.

Burnt-out vehicles line the streets of Port-au-Prince following a reported firefight between gangs and police. The gangs extort communities, commit rape, murder, and kidnap for ransom, while engaging in territorial battles with Haitian security forces.

“Thousands of people remain trapped in gang-controlled areas or on shifting frontlines,” O’Neill noted, facing “invisible borders.”

Young women and girls face even greater barriers: “They encounter discrimination for being female, living in gang-controlled neighborhoods, and being poor. ‘I just want to live well and safely,’ one girl told me, ‘because this is my country,’” he said.

Haiti is struggling with a worsening humanitarian crisis worsened by ongoing violence, frequent extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and earthquakes.

Political uncertainty persists as the country has been without an elected president since Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in 2021, with hopes for elections later this year.

In his role, O’Neill monitors human rights progress in Haiti, advising the government, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations, including women’s rights groups, to ensure respect for and protection of human rights.

He expressed deep concerns about corruption, impunity, and inadequate accountability mechanisms, but emphasized that Haiti is at “a difficult yet promising moment.”

“If we can help Haiti address insecurity, combat corruption and impunity, and protect human rights, then everyone will prosper.”