Haiti’s Escalating Crisis: Nearly 8,000 Killed or Injured in 2024 Amid Rising Violence

UN Report Highlights Alarming Human Rights Violations and Government Inaction

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) has released a harrowing report on the human rights situation in 2024, painting a bleak picture of rising violence, mass killings, and a lack of accountability. The report, published last week, details the staggering toll of gang-related violence, police operations, and self-defense groups across the country, resulting in 7,839 people killed or injured throughout the year.

Between October 1 and December 31, 2024, at least 1,732 people were killed, and 411 were injured due to ongoing gang wars, self-defense militias, and law enforcement interventions. These figures bring the total for the year to 5,626 killed and 2,213 injured, marking a significant escalation in Haiti’s ongoing security crisis.

A Surge in Massacres and Kidnappings

The last quarter of 2024 was particularly brutal, witnessing three large-scale massacres that claimed over 300 lives:

• Wharf Jérémie (Port-au-Prince) – More than 207 killed
• Pont Sondé (Saint-Marc) – At least 115 killed
• Petite Rivière (Artibonite) – Dozens of casualties reported

Gang-related kidnappings also spiked, with at least 431 people abducted for ransom in the last three months of the year, bringing the total to 1,494 kidnappings in 2024. These abductions have targeted people from all walks of life, including students, journalists, and business owners, fueling widespread fear across the country.

Rise in “Popular Justice” and Human Rights Violations

The report underscores a disturbing rise in vigilante justice, with at least 268 individuals lynched or executed in the last quarter alone, pushing the total for 2024 to 596 cases. Many of these extrajudicial killings were carried out by local communities that have taken the law into their own hands amid the state’s failure to curb gang violence.

Adding to the crisis, the report raises alarm over sexual violence and child recruitment by gangs. According to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, cases of sexual violence against children increased by 1,000% in one year, while child recruitment into armed groups surged by 70% in 2024. Disturbingly, nearly half of gang members are now children, some as young as eight years old.

“These children are either forcibly recruited, manipulated or driven by extreme poverty into the ranks of armed groups,” Elder said during a press conference at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on February 7, 2025.

State and Police Implicated in Civilian Deaths

The Haitian National Police (PNH) also came under scrutiny in the report. Law enforcement operations resulted in 771 casualties in the last quarter alone, with 38% of victims being innocent civilians caught in crossfire or hit by stray bullets. Additionally, allegations of summary executions by police officers remain a significant concern. At least 80 people were killed in such incidents during the last quarter, bringing the total to 281 for the year. Many victims were accused of gang affiliation, but among them were motorcycle taxi drivers and street vendors who were allegedly targeted for failing to provide identification or justify their presence in specific neighborhoods.

A System of Impunity and Inaction

Despite mounting violence and human rights violations, Haiti’s government has made little progress in holding perpetrators accountable. While police investigations were launched following the Wharf Jérémie and Pont Sondé massacres, no judicial action had been taken as of December 31, 2024. The General Inspectorate of the Police, responsible for investigating misconduct within the force, has also been largely inactive due to widespread insecurity.

Additionally, the much-publicized vetting process for police officers, initiated in June 2023, has yielded no results. Not a single officer has undergone thorough background checks. This failure further erodes public trust in the country’s law enforcement institutions.

A Nation at a Breaking Point

The BINUH report confirms what many Haitians already know—Haiti is in a state of crisis, with escalating violence, unchecked gang control, and a government unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law. As the country struggles under these dire conditions, human rights organizations continue to call for urgent international assistance and domestic reforms to prevent further bloodshed.

With no end in sight to the violence, Haitians are left wondering whether 2025 will bring relief or another year of escalating bloodshed and suffering.

The Haitian Tribune will continue to monitor and report on the evolving security situation in Haiti.

Jean Pierre Donald, Senior Reporter, The Haitian Tribune | Photo Credit: Unsplash.com