(Geneva) More than 600 people were killed in April alone in “a new wave of extreme violence” that hit several neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, the UN warned on Tuesday. which calls for the urgent deployment of a support force.
“At least 846 people have already been killed in the first three months of 2023, to which must be added more than 393 people injured and 395 kidnapped during the period, a 28% increase in violence compared to the previous quarter. “, According to a press release from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
High Commissioner Volker Türk denounces “an endless cycle of violence in Haiti”. “The human rights emergency urgently calls for a strong response,” he urged on Tuesday.
In a quarterly report (January to March) published on Tuesday, the UN points out that violence in Haiti is not only becoming more extreme and more frequent, but that it is spreading inexorably as gangs seek to extend their control.
Areas of the capital previously considered safe, including Kenscoff and Pétion Ville, as well as the Artibonite department, are now affected.
Kidnappings (at least 395 in the first quarter of 2023) are up 12% from the previous quarter, and sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon by gangs to impose terror and cause suffering. population.
Among other modus operandi used by the gangs, the report lists incidents in which snipers fired indiscriminately at passers-by or homes. People were also burned alive on public transport.
The report also highlights the emergence of self-defense groups, called “vigilance brigades”, following calls by some politicians and journalists for citizens to organize themselves to fight against gang violence.
These groups are behind mass lynchings and resulted in the deaths of at least 75 people, including 66 gang members, in the first quarter, according to the report.
During his first official visit to Haiti in February, Mr. Türk encouraged the international community to support the strengthening of the Haitian National Police and to urgently deploy a support force for a limited period.
“I reiterate my call on the international community to deploy a specialized support force, respectful of human rights and limited in time, with a comprehensive action plan to help Haitian institutions,” asked the High Commissioner on Tuesday.
“The state has an obligation to protect its citizens. People should be able to rely on the police and the judiciary to tackle gang violence. But the reality is that the state does not have the capacity to react. The population is therefore taking the law into their own hands, but this will only fuel the spiral of violence,” he warned.