May 15, 2025
Figures from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) reveal a chilling reality: 1,617 people were killed in Haiti between January and March 2025, plunging the country into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Gangs, self-defense militias, and police operations all contributed to the bloodshed, leaving behind 580 injured and traumatized communities.
The Artibonite region has become the epicenter of kidnappings, accounting for 63% of the 161 recorded cases, while gangs continue expanding their reign of terror in and around Port-au-Prince. Delmas and Kenscoff have been particularly targeted as part of a strategy to destabilize Pétion-Ville and seize control of key routes.
Attacks on Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau led to the escape of 515 prisoners, further weakening a state already overwhelmed by violence. Meanwhile, the #BwaKalé movement claimed 189 lives—victims of mob justice, often accused without evidence of gang affiliation.
Security forces themselves were responsible for the deaths of 802 people, 20% of whom were civilians caught in crossfire. The report also implicates police officers and the Miragoâne commissioner in 65 extrajudicial killings, revealing institutionalized brutality.
Women and children are paying a horrific price: 333 survivors of sexual violence have been documented, 96% of whom were victims of gang rapes. At least 35 children have been killed and 10 wounded, while others are being forcibly recruited by gangs.
In response to the crisis, the authorities have created specialized courts and reviewed 114 rape cases, but progress remains slow. The assassination of the president, arms trafficking, and massacres dating back to 2018 still await justice in a country where impunity reigns.
