Police officers patrol near the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, November 12, 2024 -

Last updated: 26 minutes ago

Haiti

Just three weeks after a United Nations-backed gang suppression force arrived in Haiti, the country’s prime minister has told the Security Council that the situation has improved in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Last month, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said one in four Haitians lived in areas controlled by criminal gangs.

"Without security, no development is possible. Concrete results are starting to emerge thanks to the Haitian armed forces, the national police, and the gang suppression force,” said Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

“Several areas in the capital are slowly being retaken. Economic and social life is slowly but surely starting up again."

Haiti’s gangs had “near-total control” of the capital last June and authorities were unable to stop the escalating violence. Haitian police say they now control 72% of the city.

The new force replaced a smaller UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police that was understaffed and underfunded.

The UN Special Representative says Haiti stands at a pivotal moment, stressing that "elections remain the only legitimate path back to constitutional order."

Haiti has not held elections since 2016, primarily because of poor security.

A recent UN Human Rights report said at least 5,519 people were killed in Haiti, and 2,608 were injured between 1 March last year and January 2026.

Gang violence, mass displacement, and economic strain are keeping the island nation in the grip of a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Haitian PM says reducing gang forces in Port-au-Prince

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