Violent gangs have ‘near-total control’ of Haiti’s capital, UN says

Haiti’s criminal gangs have exerted “near-total control” over the capital, as escalating violence pushes the Caribbean nation “closer to the brink,” senior U.N. officials warned Wednesday.

Gangs control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the U.N. Security Council. Waly noted that gangs are expanding into previously peaceful areas.

“Southern Haiti, which until recently was insulated from the violence, has seen a sharp increase in gang-related incidents,” she said. “And in the east, criminal groups are exploiting land routes, including key crossings like Belladere and Malpasse, where attacks against police and customs officials have been reported.”

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca informed the council that “the ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince” and their strengthened foothold in the capital and beyond is “pushing the situation closer to the brink.”

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“Without increased action by the international community, the total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario,” he warned.

Gangs have gained power since President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in July 2021, previously controlling 85% of the capital. Haiti has not had a president since the assassination.

A new U.N. report covering last October through February highlights that gangs have exploited political turmoil and Haiti’s disorganized security response, saying competing political ambitions and corruption allegations within transitional governing bodies have hindered action.

“While the expansion of territorial control brings gangs additional sources of revenue and bargaining power,” the U.N. experts said in the report, “these attacks are also backed by individuals trying to destabilize the political transition for their own political goals.”

The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for Haiti in September 2024, warning Americans against visiting due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and limited healthcare.

In May, the Trump administration designated two of Haiti’s most powerful gang networks, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.