Current:Home > MarketsUN human rights official is alarmed by sprawling gang violence in Haiti -FundPrime
UN human rights official is alarmed by sprawling gang violence in Haiti
View
Date:2025-04-13 14:33:10
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The United Nations expert on human rights in Haiti said Tuesday that he is alarmed by the rapid spread of gang violence and the bleak future awaiting children in the embattled country.
William O’Neill spoke at the end of a weeklong visit to Haiti, his second one this year amid a spike in violence that has displaced more than 200,000 people.
“Murders, injuries and kidnappings are the daily lot of the population,” he said. “An entire generation is seemingly being sacrificed by violence, and the future of a country is threatened by the dramatic situation faced by its youth.”
More than 1,230 killings and 701 kidnappings were reported across Haiti from July 1 to Sept. 30, more than double the figure reported during the same period last year, according to the U.N.
An estimated 200 gangs operate in Haiti, with the largest groups controlling up to 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince.
“A major challenge is the fact that many gang members are children,” O’Neill said. “It will be necessary to implement rehabilitation and reintegration programs for the vast majority of them.”
He also noted that gang violence has spread to previously peaceful areas in Haiti’s central and northwest regions and that more than 500,000 children have no access to education given the spike in violence.
O’Neill said gangs also continue to sexually abuse women and girls who have no access to health care.
“The state must assume its responsibilities not only to prevent human rights violations and abuses, but also to protect its population, especially the most vulnerable,” he said.
Haiti’s National Police, which is understaffed and under-resourced, has struggled in its fight against gangs, with only some 4,000 officers on duty at a time in the country of 11.7 million people.
Lack of security is so widespread, that Haitians stay mostly indoors unless they need to buy basic goods, said Garry Lochar, 29, who works at a bus terminal.
“It’s been a year since people have been saying that troops are coming,” he said. “People are dying, and Haiti is not getting any help at all.”
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force a year ago to battle gangs that have grown more powerful ever since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
In recent months, Kenya agreed to lead a multinational armed force to Haiti, although deployment has been delayed by legal challenges.
“The imminent deployment of this mission, under strict conditions of respect and protection of human rights, is necessary to alleviate the suffering of the population,” O’Neill said.
In addition to violence, Haiti also is struggling with deepening hunger amid skyrocketing inflation. Nearly half of the country’s population is starving, and experts expect those numbers to rise.
“I hope that one day, we will be able to see the light in this country,” said Jean-Marc Jean Pierre who has been forced to move multiple times because of gang violence. “If everyone could leave this country, we would have left already.”
___
Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Strong earthquake that sparked a tsunami warning leaves 1 dead amid widespread panic in Philippines
- British military reports an explosion off the coast of Yemen in the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Jingle All the Way to Madewell’s Holiday Gift Sale with Deals Starting at Only $20
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Beyoncé's 'Renaissance' film debuts in theaters: 'It was out of this world'
- Raheem Morris is getting most from no-name Rams D – and boosting case for NFL head-coach job
- Israel, Hamas reach deal to extend Gaza cease-fire for seventh day despite violence in Jerusalem, West Bank
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Idaho baby found dead by police one day after Amber Alert, police say father is in custody
Ranking
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Guinea-Bissau’s leader calls a shootout an attempted coup, heightening tensions in West Africa
- 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes off the southern Philippines and a tsunami warning is issued
- The Best Gifts For The Coffee, Tea & Matcha Lover Who Just Needs More Caffeine
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- It's been a brutal year for homebuyers. Here's what experts predict for 2024, from mortgage rates to prices.
- AP Top 25: Michigan is No. 1 for first time in 26 seasons, Georgia’s streak on top ends at 24 weeks
- Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' Trainer Wants You to Eat More This Holiday Season—You Know You Love It
Recommendation
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Burkina Faso rights defender abducted as concerns grow over alleged clampdown on dissent
Protester lights self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
Vermont day care provider convicted of causing infant’s death with doses of antihistamine
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
One dead and several injured after shooting at event in Louisiana
Russia brings new charges against jailed Kremlin foe Navalny
Pottery Barn's Holiday Sale Is Up To 50% Off, With Finds Starting At Just $8