The number of murders more than doubled in Haiti in 2023, with nearly 5,000 people killed, according to a report by the UN secretary-general, saying it is “shocked by the appalling scale” of gang violence ravaging the Caribbean country.
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“I am horrified by the appalling level of gang violence that continues to worsen and destroys the lives of Haitians, especially in Port-au-Prince,” denounces Antonio Guterres in this report from the capital published on Tuesday.
“Murders, sexual violence and kidnappings committed by organized gangs, particularly against women and girls, and other crimes continue to go unpunished,” he added.
According to the report, “The number of reported homicides increased 119.4% in 2023 compared to 2022, with 4,789 victims reported, including 465 women, 93 boys and 48 girls, a ratio of 40.9 homicides per 100,000 population, compared to 2,183 in 2022.”, i.e. a rate estimated at 18.1 homicides per 100,000 residents.
“The number of people abducted also increased from 1,359 in 2022 to 2,490 in 2023, an increase of 83%.”
Faced with this serious security and humanitarian crisis, the UN Security Council agreed in October to send a multinational mission led by Kenya to Haiti to help the overwhelmed Haitian police.
Kenya's parliament approved the deployment of 1,000 police officers in November, but the mission remains suspended due to the decision of the Nairobi High Court, which must hear an opponent's appeal on January 26.
In his report, Antonio Guterres points out that in order for this mission to have a “lasting impact”, it must be accompanied by a “consolidation of the judicial and penal system” as well as solutions to deal with “police attrition”.
Against a backdrop of a lack of resources and political crises, the number of national police officers continues to decline “at an alarming rate.”
In 2023, 1,663 police officers, including 152 women, left the institution, 48 were killed and 75 were injured. According to the report, the police force consisted of 13,196 officers as of December 31.