Port-au-Prince, 8 May 2026: According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), during the first quarter of the year (January–March 2026), at least 1,642 people were killed and 745 others injured.
“Despite security advances in certain areas of downtown Port-au-Prince, insecurity is daily and unbearable for a large number of Haitians, and violence continues to spread beyond the capital, particularly in Artibonite and the Centre”, underscored the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti and Head of BINUH, Carlos Ruiz Massieu.
In light of the trends observed at the end of last year, operations carried out by security forces have limited the territorial expansion of gangs in the heart of the capital and have contributed to a reduction in their criminal activities in several neighbourhoods.
By contrast, in the areas under their control, gangs have continued to commit numerous human rights abuses, including targeted killings, kidnappings, acts of extortion, and destruction of property. A tragic example of these abuses is the execution, during the month of March, of a 13-year-old child, playing the role of a “lookout” for the gangs, for having flown a kite.
On the outskirts of the capital and in Artibonite, gangs have also committed serious abuses against the populations. The most violent attacks occurred at the end of March and continued throughout the month of April. Thus, between 29 and 31 March, gang members carried out coordinated attacks against 16 localities, in Lower Artibonite, where several self-defence groups were established. In total, at least 83 residents were killed and 38 others injured. Some victims were taken from their beds in the middle of the night and then shot dead in front of their homes.
Overall, during the quarter, gang members were responsible for 27% of those killed and injured. They were also responsible for sexual violence, including gang rapes or cases of sexual exploitation, against more than 292 victims, mainly women and girls aged 12 to 17. Sexual violence continues to be used by gangs as a means of punishing populations living under their control, like the trafficking of children.
In parallel with this gang violence, BINUH estimates that 4% of murders and injuries are attributable to self-defence groups targeting gang members and people suspected of collaborating with them.
Finally, more than 69% of those killed or injured during the quarter were the result of operations carried out by security forces against gangs, sometimes supported by a private military company using drones. Of all the victims of drone strikes, 69 were members of the population, including five children. Two girls aged seven and nine are among the seriously injured, following the fall of a drone in the courtyard of their home, in Martissant, in the month of March.
The report also highlights the persistence of allegations of executions or attempted summary executions involving members of the police. Mostly documented in specific locations of the capital, these incidents caused the death of 33 people and the injury of 7 others. Informed by BINUH, the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police has opened investigations into all of these cases.
Progress has been recorded in the operationalization of the two specialized judicial units to combat mass crimes and financial crimes. In March, 14 judges were appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary to join these units. These appointments add to those of the 10 government prosecutors that took place in January.
Some advances were also noted in the judicial investigation relating to the Wharf Jérémie massacre (December 2024), during which at least 207 people were killed by gang members. In March 2026, arrest warrants were issued against ten individuals.
Nevertheless, in view of the gravity of the human rights situation in Haiti, the report recalls the urgency of accelerating the full operationalization of the specialized judicial units, ensuring that all operations of national and international security forces are conducted in strict compliance with international human rights law, accelerating the effective implementation of the vetting process within the police as well as that of a program for the prevention, disengagement, and rehabilitation of minors involved in gangs.
The report also calls on the international community to keep Haiti on the international agenda and to strengthen measures aimed at preventing arms trafficking in Haiti.
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Contact: Mathias Gillmann, Spokesperson: gillmann@un.org