UN Human Rigths Briefing By Martha Hurtado on Haiti

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday issued an urgent warning about the deepening human rights catastrophe in Haiti, after figures showed that January was the most violent month in more than two years.

“The already dire human rights situation has deteriorated even further, amid unrelenting and expanding gang violence, with disastrous consequences for Haitians said Türk,” Un Human Rights spokesperson Marta Hurtado said at the regular press briefing in Geneva.

“At least 806 people, not involved in the violent exchanges taking place, were killed, injured, or kidnapped in January. In addition, some 300 gang members were killed or injured, bringing the total number of people affected to 1,108 – more than three times the number recorded in January 2023,” she said.

Gang violence is affecting all communes in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, as gang members continue to clash for control of territory and have escalated their activities in areas outside the capital. The intensity of clashes which, in some cases, have lasted several hours, may indicate that some gangs have recently received new ammunition.

“People in areas controlled by gangs have been targeted directly. Gangs also continue to use sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon and spread fear by sharing on local social media gruesome photos and videos of killed individuals and women being raped,” Hurtado highlighted.

“The impact of this torrent of violence on children continues to be of particular concern. In 2023, 167 children were killed and injured by bullets. Some were executed by gangs or so-called “self-defence” groups for their suspected support for rivals. The recruitment of children into gangs remained extremely worrisome,” Hurtado said.

In this context of widespread violence, in recent weeks there have been anti-government street protests and civil unrest, supported by opposition political parties, in at least 24 towns across the country, including the capital. Schools, public services, and local businesses have been forced to close.

Recently, armed elements have emerged and participated, including some members of the so-called “Protected Areas Security Brigade” (in French, Brigade de Sécurité des Aires Protégées or BSAP), an informal entity established several years ago by a body in charge of environmental issues.

While some protests have turned violent, with public and private buildings ransacked, there are also persistent concerns about the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement.

ENDS

In Geneva:

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org

Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org

Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org

Thameen Al-Kheetan - + 41 76 223 77 62 / thameen.alkheetan@un.org

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