At least 1,642 people were assassinated and 745 others injured between January and March 2026, according to a new report from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). While security forces have limited the territorial expansion of gangs in certain neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, violence is spreading beyond the capital, particularly in Artibonite and the Centre department. Gangs, self-defense groups, and security force operations—including drone strikes—are implicated in this heavy toll.
Violence That Shows No Sign of Abating
The figures are devastating. Between January 1 and March 31, 2026, 1,642 people were killed and 745 others injured in Haiti, according to data published Friday by BINUH. That is an average of approximately 18 deaths per day, in a country already scarred by years of political instability and security crisis.
“Despite security advances in certain areas of downtown Port-au-Prince, insecurity is a daily and unbearable reality for a large number of Haitians, and violence continues to spread beyond the capital, particularly in Artibonite and Centre,” said Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Haiti and head of BINUH.
The report, covering the first three months of the year, paints a mixed but generally alarming picture: localized security progress, but widespread deterioration of human rights and a geographic expansion of violence.
The report acknowledges some positive inflection points in the fight against gangs. Thanks to operations conducted by Haitian security forces, supported by international partners, the territorial expansion of armed groups has been “limited” in the heart of the capital. In several Port-au-Prince neighborhoods, criminal activities (extortion, kidnappings, targeted killings) have seen some reduction.
But this measured optimism should not obscure reality for millions of Haitians. In areas that remain under gang control, abuses continue—daily, systematic, and unpunished.
Gangs: Targeted Killings, Kidnappings, and Executions of Children
Of all people killed or injured in the first quarter, 27% are directly attributable to gang members. These groups continue to spread terror through targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, acts of extortion, and property destruction.
One episode illustrates with horror the everyday brutality of these groups: during March, in an area under gang influence, a 13-year-old child was executed for… flying a kite. The boy, who served as a “lookout” for the gangs, was accused of disobeying or drawing attention. The precise details of the execution have not been made public, but the UN condemns it as a “tragic example” of daily abuses.
While Port-au-Prince remains the epicenter, violence is spreading. On the outskirts of the capital and especially in the Artibonite department—Haiti’s agricultural breadbasket—gangs have committed serious abuses against rural populations. One of the most violent attacks took place between March 29 and 31, in Lower Artibonite.
Gang members then coordinated an attack on 16 localities where several self-defense groups were based. The toll: at least 83 residents killed and 38 others injured. According to testimonies collected by the UN, some victims were pulled from their beds in the middle of the night, dragged outside, and shot in front of their homes.
Sexual Violence and Child Trafficking
The BINUH report also highlights the scale of sexual violence committed by gangs. At least 292 victims—mostly women and girls aged 12 to 17—have suffered gang rape or sexual exploitation.
Gangs use this violence as a tool of punishment, submission, and control over populations living under their sway.
Furthermore, the report warns about child trafficking, often linked to these criminal networks.
Self-Defense Groups: 4% of Killings and Injuries
Faced with impunity and state failure, self-defense groups have formed in several regions. BINUH estimates these militias are responsible for 4% of the killings and injuries recorded in the first quarter. Their targets: suspected gang members, but also people suspected of collaborating with them.
These summary executions pose a major legal and ethical problem. While they reflect legitimate despair among populations, they also contribute to a spiral of violence entirely outside legal frameworks.
Security Forces Accountable for Over 69% of Deaths and Injuries
The most striking—and most controversial—figure in the report concerns security force operations (Haitian National Police, sometimes supported by a private military company using drones). These operations are responsible for more than 69% of people killed or injured during the quarter.
Of all victims of drone strikes, 69 were civilians, including five children. Two young girls, aged seven and nine, were seriously injured after a drone crashed in their home’s courtyard in Martissant during March.
The report also highlights persistent allegations of summary executions or attempted summary executions involving national police members. These incidents, mostly documented in specific locations in the capital, resulted in 33 deaths and 7 injuries.
Informed by BINUH, the Inspector General of the Haitian National Police (IGPNH) has opened investigations into all of these cases. A positive sign, but one insufficient to reassure given the scale of human rights violations.
Specialized Judicial Hubs: Slow Implementation
Faced with the chronic impunity that plagues the Haitian judicial system, progress has been made in operationalizing two specialized judicial hubs designed to combat mass crimes and financial crimes.
In March 2026, 14 judges were appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary to join these hubs. These appointments add to those of 10 deputy prosecutors appointed in January. A technical step forward, but still insufficient given the hundreds of pending criminal cases.
Some progress has also been made in the judicial investigation into the Wharf Jérémie massacre (December 2024), in which at least 207 people were killed by gang members. In March 2026, arrest warrants were finally issued against ten individuals. A modest first step after nearly sixteen months of waiting.
Urgent Recommendations from BINUH
Faced with the extreme gravity of the human rights situation in Haiti, the BINUH report formulates several urgent recommendations:
Accelerate the full operationalization of specialized judicial hubs (mass crimes, financial crimes) so that perpetrators of serious violations do not remain unpunished.
Ensure that all operations by national and international security forces are conducted in strict compliance with international human rights law, particularly the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
Accelerate the effective implementation of the vetting process within the national police to exclude corrupt or violent elements.
Establish a prevention, disengagement, and rehabilitation program for minors involved in gangs.
Combat arms trafficking, which fuels gang violence, by strengthening customs control measures and calling on the international community to keep Haiti on its agenda.
“The international community must keep Haiti on the international agenda,” the report insists.
BINUH also calls for strengthening measures to prevent arms trafficking into Haiti. According to several investigations, the majority of weapons used by gangs come from the United States, via maritime and aerial smuggling networks.
