Dozens of people have been killed and thousands displaced in Haiti after armed gangs launched a devastating assault on the country’s major agricultural region, just ahead of the anticipated arrival of an international force aimed at tackling such attacks.
The gangs struck the Jean-Denis and Pont-Sondé areas in Haiti’s western Artibonite department from Sunday into Monday, human rights groups reported, shooting civilians and setting homes ablaze.
Haitian authorities have confirmed at least 16 fatalities on Sunday, while rights organizations Defenders Plus and RNDDH estimate the toll could be as high as 70 by Monday as violence continued through the night.
“Dozens of houses were burned down and nearly 6,000 people were forced to flee,” said Defenders Plus.
Bertide Horace, a spokesperson from the Dialogue and Reconciliation Commission to Save the Artibonite Valley, described the attacks, “Gang members split into groups, launching attacks across multiple localities, barricading roads and digging trenches across routes that serve as entry and exit points. When they arrived in these localities, they began shooting in all directions. They killed several people and caused extensive damage.”
Horace added that there was no police presence initially, allowing the gangs to operate “with complete confidence” as residents were left to fend for themselves. Police arrived by Monday noon, prompting the gangs to retreat, she said.
Dr. Reginald Fils-Aimé, based in central Haiti, said his team treated at least 15 injured patients at Hospital Saint Nicolas in Saint Marc, with the youngest victim just 13 years old. Seven required major surgery.
“This influx of patients is the largest I have seen from gang-related activity in weeks,” Fils-Aimé said, expressing concern that more casualties could follow.
The United Nations expressed alarm over the attacks. “This attack underscores the gravity of the security situation faced by the Haitian population. (The UN) urges Haitian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation,” said UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Monday.
Haiti has long struggled with gang violence. A new multinational Gang Suppression Force is set to deploy soon to combat the armed groups terrorizing the country.
“This latest massacre is yet another atrocity in a string of crimes that the Haitian authorities and the international community have failed to stop,” said Johanna Pelaez, regional researcher for the Caribbean at Amnesty International.
“While we await the deployment of the new international security operation, this incident highlights the urgent need for the Haitian government and the international community to collaborate in finding a lasting solution to the security situation.”
A recent UN report notes that at least 26 gangs operate in Port-au-Prince, where armed groups control major routes, choking off essential supplies.
Some 1.4 million people have been displaced, and between March last year and January this year, more than 5,500 people have been killed.
The gangs’ influence has spread beyond the capital into Haiti’s Artibonite and Central departments. Artibonite, known as the country’s “breadbasket,” is a vital agricultural hub, critical in regions facing food shortages due to gang control.
“It is very difficult for the population to return to this area,” Horace told CNN. “Because of the presence of the gangs who have destroyed everything in their path. Not only have they destroyed families, but they have also destroyed their homes, their belongings, everything they owned.”
