Since April, at least 264 individuals accused of being gang members in Haiti have been killed by self-proclaimed vigilante groups, according to Maria Isabel Salvador, the UN representative in the country.
This trend is causing growing concern among international organizations.
Faced with the inability of authorities to address the extreme violence perpetrated by criminal gangs that control much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, many Haitians have taken justice into their own hands.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who recently visited Port-au-Prince, described the situation as a “nightmare” for the Haitian population and emphasized the urgent need for improved security.
Guterres called on the international community to deploy a robust security force in collaboration with the Haitian National Police to combat and dismantle the gangs and restore security throughout the country.
However, there has been no significant response to this call, and no country has volunteered to lead such an operation in Haiti, which has experienced multiple foreign interventions in the past.
The lack of concrete proposals further complicates the situation during a recent UN Security Council meeting on the issue.
In the absence of effective intervention, the violence and insecurity in Haiti continue to have a detrimental impact on basic services, such as healthcare and education, and contribute to an alarming rise in violence.