Violence in Haiti left more than 600 dead in April: UN

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - More than 600 people were killed in April in a wave of violence hitting Haiti's gang-controlled capital, the UN said in a report.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk cautioned Tuesday against a “never-ending cycle of violence” in the Caribbean nation.

“Every report I get from Haiti underlines the scale of the suffering, and rams home the message that Haitians need urgent support, and they need it now,” said Turk.

Between January and March, the UN documented 1,634 victims from killings, injuries and kidnappings -- a 28% increase compared to the previous quarter, it said in the report Monday.

​​Kidnappings, murders, extortion and other criminal acts keep increasing in Port-au-Prince, which is in the midst of a serious economic and social crisis.

At least 395 kidnappings were reported in the first quarter of 2023, representing an increase of 12% compared to the previous quarter. Gangs continue to rape women and girls on a massive scale “to terrorize and inflict pain on populations under the control of rivals.”

“Gangs continued to use snipers on rooftops to indiscriminately shoot people carrying out their daily activities, and to fire regularly into people’s residences,” said the report. And students are frequently victims of stray bullets while in their classrooms or homes.

Gangs have “burst into neighborhoods and fired their guns indiscriminately to kill as many people as possible, burned people alive in public transportation vehicles, and executed everyone perceived to be opposed to the gang,” according to the report. Mass lootings and the burning of houses have resulted in the displacement of thousands of residents.

Neighborhoods that were once considered safe are now taken over by gangs, notably Kenscoff and Petion Ville, as well as the Artibonite department.

The report noted an increase in mob killings and lynching of alleged gang members, with at least 164 murders documented in April.

Turk demanded the urgent deployment of a special support force.

“I reiterate my call on the international community to deploy a time-bound, specialized and human rights-compliant support force, with a comprehensive action plan to assist Haiti's institutions,” he said.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry wants an international force to help stabilize Haiti but until now, no country has been willing.​​​​​​​