Haiti: 1.5 million displaced and 1,600 people killed in three months

By Vatican News

Haiti's humanitarian and security crisis continues unabated. According to the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Haiti, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, about 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of gang violence. In addition, at least 1,600 people have been killed over the past three months.

Criminal groups dominate the capital

In an interview with Infobae, the UN envoy said that criminal groups, whose membership is estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000, exert influence or control over roughly 70 to 75 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Ruiz Massieu reiterated that, despite the UN Security Council's backing for the international security support mission, coordinated action on security, justice, and development will be needed to restore stability to the country.

An unprecedented but largely forgotten crisis

Haiti has been facing an unprecedented crisis since at least the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Since then, armed gangs have steadily expanded their control, bringing institutions, infrastructure, and essential services to a standstill.

According to the World Bank, Haiti's economy contracted for the seventh consecutive year in 2025, with real GDP falling by 2.7% and average inflation rising to 28.3%. Nearly half of the population lives in extreme poverty, surviving on less than three euros a day.

The outlook for 2026 remains highly uncertain. The International Monetary Fund forecasts a further 1.7% contraction in the economy, while inflation, although expected to ease slightly, is projected to remain around 23.5%.

Deteriorating security situation

Meanwhile, the security situation continues to deteriorate. According to the United Nations, more than 5,500 people were killed and over 2,600 injured in gang-related violence during 2025. According to the latest report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, the instability has already claimed at least 1,642 lives and left 745 people injured in 2026. These figures underscore the scale of the escalating violence and the authorities' continuing difficulty in restoring order.

The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission, deployed in 2024, has helped protect some strategic infrastructure. However, it has so far failed to reverse the territorial control exercised by criminal organizations, which continue to dominate much of the capital while expanding their presence into other parts of the country.