UN Sounds Alarm: Haiti’s Capital Nears Total Collapse Under Gang Control
UN Sounds Alarm: Haiti’s Capital Nears Total Collapse Under Gang Control
United Nations officials issued a stark warning this week, declaring that criminal gangs have seized “near-total control” of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, pushing the impoverished Caribbean nation closer to the brink of state collapse. An estimated 90% of the capital is now under the dominion of these groups, who are aggressively expanding their violent reach into previously peaceful regions.
Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, informed the U.N. Security Council that the state’s authority is rapidly diminishing as gangs establish “parallel governance structures.” This control over major trade routes has crippled legal commerce, leading to soaring prices for essential goods like cooking fuel and rice, exacerbating a severe humanitarian crisis.
Miroslav Jenca, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that the ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince and their fortified presence are dire. He cautioned that without urgent and increased international intervention, the “total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario.”
Gang power has surged since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Despite the arrival of a Kenyan police-led U.N.-backed mission last year, it remains significantly understaffed and underfunded. Reports indicate a sharp increase in sexual violence by gangs, with hundreds of incidents documented in recent months, alongside a worrying rise in extrajudicial killings by both vigilante groups and specialized police units. The continued flow of powerful weapons to gangs, despite an arms embargo, further destabilizes the nation, highlighting the urgent need for robust international support to prevent a complete societal breakdown.
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