The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, noted “fragmented and fragile progress” by the security forces and the continued influence of gangs over much of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, in his latest report to the Security Council, dated July 14, 2026.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, noted “fragmented and fragile progress” by the security forces and the continued influence of gangs over much of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, in his latest report to the Security Council, dated July 14, 2026.« “The anti-gang operations carried out by specialized police units, which aim to regain control of major roads and clear strategic routes, have forced gang members to withdraw from certain strategic locations in Delmas and Port-au-Prince, and have allowed for a partial restoration of state presence. Security forces have secured institutional sites such as universities and administrative buildings around Champ de Mars,” wrote the UN Secretary-General, highlighting that “however, these gains remain fragmented and fragile.” “Several air operations carried out with the support of a foreign private military company have also been reported in Port-au-Prince and in the Artibonite department,” the report notes.Continuing gang influence over much of the metropolitan area
“At the same time, gangs have continued to exert their influence over much of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, notably in the communes of Carrefour, Cité Soleil, Gressier, and Croix-des-Bouquets. Meanwhile, violent clashes between rival gangs, linked to control over sources of illegal income and extortion activities in the area known as the Cul-de-Sac plain, which covers parts of Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets, have intensified,” according to the UN Secretary-General’s report.
“As a result, the report revealed, at least 542 people were killed and 355 others injured, according to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). About 23% of the victims were local residents. During the clashes, gang members committed sexual violence against locals and raped at least 176 women and girls,” the report states.
The violence in these areas has forced at least 18,000 people to flee, disrupted economic activities and basic services, including health facilities, and threatened critical infrastructure as well as major private sector activities. In several neighborhoods, kidnappings by gang members and individuals wearing police uniforms have continued to be reported, according to the report.Increase in Gang Violence in the Artibonite and Central Departments
Gang violence has been increasing in the Artibonite and Central departments and has spread to the South-East department. Between March 29 and April 30, gang attacks escalated in the Artibonite department, in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, Dessalines, Saint-Marc, L’Estère, and Gonaïves. They caused at least 122 deaths and 70 injuries among the local population. The growing presence of gangs along the main transport routes in the Artibonite department has increasingly restricted freedom of movement and disrupted the delivery of essential supplies as well as access to basic servicesSecurity operations have caused losses for gangs, but they haven’t significantly reduced their ability to spread violence, especially along National Road Number 1. On May 29, an ambush along this road, near Verrettes (Artibonite department), killed four police officers, according to the National Police of Haiti (PNH).
In the South-East department, police presence has been increased in the town of Seguin, following a rise in gang attacks. On April 20, an attack repelled by security forces resulted in the deaths of 14 gang members, according to the Haitian national police. On May 30, another attack in Belle-Anse killed at least three local men, according to local authorities. These events show that gang activity continues to expand in areas of the South-East department that were previously less affected.
.Self-defense groups and spontaneous gatherings continued to be a source of violence and human rights violations, killing people suspected of being in gangs or cooperating with them, as well as those accused of other offenses, mostly theft. Acts of collective violence were reported in the departments of the West and Artibonite, where people were brutally killed by members of the local population or self-defense groups: some were beaten to death with sticks, machetes, or stones, and their bodies were sometimes burned. At least 87 victims (84 men, 2 women, and one girl) were reported, according to the UN Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council.
