Lawlessness in Haiti amounts to a “human rights emergency,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned, urging immediate action as the Caribbean nation grapples with a spate of vigilante killings.
“The state’s lack of capacity to fulfill human rights has completely eroded people’s confidence. The social contract has collapsed. The current lawlessness is a human rights emergency that calls for a robust response,” said Volker Turk, who visited the country in February. “There is an immediate need to support Haiti’s institutions by deploying a time-bound, specialized, and human rights-compliant support force, with a comprehensive action plan,” he said.
Gang violence has surged across the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince in recent months, fueled in part by the power vacuum created following the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Deadly clashes have impeded access to health care facilities, forced the closure of schools and clinics, and worsened already dire food insecurity by cutting residents of gang-controlled areas off from critical supplies.
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