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Haiti UN Human Rights report on impact of the expanding reach of gangs
“Violence perpetrated by gangs has resulted in at least 1,424 people killed; operations against gangs led by security forces have caused at least 3,497 people to be killed; and attacks against gangs by self-defence groups have caused at least 598 people to be killed,” the spokesperson said. “Gangs have terrorized the population by killing and kidnapping people, trafficking children, stealing at illegal checkpoints, extorting money from businesses, and destroying and ransacking public and private properties.”
“Gangs continued using sexual violence to spread fear among, subjugate, and punish the population,” the report adds, detailing grave abuse on an appalling scale,” she said.
“Between 1 March 2025 and 31 December 2025, at least 1,571 women and girls were victims of sexual violence, mostly gang rape. Others, including children, were coerced into so-called “sentimental relationships” with gang members and subjected to prolonged sexual exploitation and abuse,” Hurtado told reporters at the UN bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
The report also documents instances of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by police. Between 1 March 2025 and 15 January 2026, it identifies 247 instances of actual or attempted summary executions of suspected gang members or individuals believed to support gangs, resulting in the deaths of 196 people.
“Since March 2025, a private military company, reportedly hired by the Haitian Government, has taken part in security operations, including using drone strikes and helicopter gunfire. Some, or even most, of these drone strikes and helicopter operations could be described as targeted killings, given the apparent predetermined, intentional, and deliberate use of lethal force against individuals specifically identified in advance,” she said.
No investigation appears to have been opened by the judicial authorities to establish the legality of these operations and the circumstances in which the killings and injuries occurred, says the report.
States are accountable for the actions of private military and security companies they employ to perform security functions on their behalf. Such companies must comply with the same international human rights obligations as national police, and States are required to prevent, investigate, and address serious violations committed by them.
“The report also details violence perpetrated by self-defence groups and mobs engaging in so-called "popular justice". Armed with stones, machetes, and, increasingly, high-calibre firearms, these groups have lynched individuals suspected of gang affiliation, as well as others deemed to have committed crimes. “Some killings were, allegedly encouraged, supported, or facilitated by police elements,” Hurtado said.
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva:
Marta Hurtado: +41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org
Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
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STORY: Haiti: UN Human Rights report on the impact of the expanding reach of gangs
TRT: 02:42
SOURCE: OHCHR /UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 24 February 2026 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shot: Palais des Nations
- Interior shots: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Violence perpetrated by gangs has resulted in at least 1,424 people killed; operations against gangs led by security forces have caused at least 3,497 people to be killed; and attacks against gangs by self-defence groups have caused at least 598 people to be killed. Gangs have terrorized the population by killing and kidnapping people, trafficking children, stealing at illegal checkpoints, extorting money from businesses, and destroying and ransacking public and private properties.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Gangs continued using sexual violence to spread fear among, subjugate, and punish the population, the report adds, detailing grave abuse on an appalling scale.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Between 1 March 2025 and 31 December 2025, at least 1,571 women and girls were victims of sexual violence, mostly gang rape. Others, including children, were coerced into so-called “sentimental relationships” with gang members and subjected to prolonged sexual exploitation and abuse.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Since March 2025, a private military company, reportedly hired by the Haitian Government, has taken part in security operations, including using drone strikes and helicopter gunfire. Some, or even most, of these drone strikes and helicopter operations could be described as targeted killings, given the apparent predetermined, intentional, and deliberate use of lethal force against individuals specifically identified in advance.”
- Cutaways: briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Marta Hurtado, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The report also details violence perpetrated by self-defence groups and mobs engaging in so-called popular justice. Armed with stones, machetes, and, increasingly, high-calibre firearms, these groups have lynched individuals suspected of gang affiliation, as well as others deemed to have committed crimes. Some killings were, allegedly encouraged, supported, or facilitated by police elements.”
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In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
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