February 16, 2026
June 1, 2025, marks the fourth anniversary of Martissant’s occupation by armed gangs—an ongoing crisis denounced by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH). In its latest report, CARDH highlights that since 2021, 28 territories have been lost to gang control, including 25 in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.
Gang violence has reached alarming levels, with over 5,600 violent deaths recorded in 2024, according to United Nations data. Criminal groups now control approximately 85% of the capital, making daily life increasingly perilous for ordinary citizens.
In response to this deepening crisis, CARDH has voiced support for the use of the private security firm ACADEMI, formerly known as Blackwater, while stressing the need for strict rules of engagement and coordinated air, sea, and ground support for national security forces and the Ministry of Public Health and Population. This proposal aims to bolster local capacities in the fight against gang domination.
Despite the deployment of a Kenya-led multinational mission, security restoration efforts remain insufficient, with only 800 officers deployed out of the 2,500 initially planned. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with more than one million people displaced and growing food insecurity—underscoring the urgent need for a coordinated international response to restore order and stability in Haiti.
