Another 150 people have died in the past week in Haiti, following a fresh surge in violence, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, condemning the action of "gangs" and expressing concern .
"At least 150 people have been killed and another 92 injured, while around 20.000 have been forced to flee their homes over the past week," Mr. Turk, according to a statement from his services in Geneva.
These deaths bring the death toll in Haiti to at least 4.544 dead and 2.060 injured since the beginning of the year, according to the UN, which points out, however, that the real number is "likely higher".
According to the same source, about 700.000 people are internally displaced in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, half of whom are children.
"The latest outbreak of violence in the Haitian capital heralds worse to come," warned Mr. Turk. “Gang violence needs to end ASAP. Haiti must not sink further into chaos," he added.
Haiti has been mired in chronic political instability for decades. But this year it has faced an unrelenting escalation of gang violence that is estimated to control 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince.
Some of these armed organizations, accused of countless murders, rapes, lootings and kidnappings for ransom, decided at the beginning of the year to join forces to overthrow the then de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henri.
A new prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Hame, was sworn in on November 11, pledging to "restore security" to the country, a day after his predecessor Gary Connell was ousted from the presidential transition council, a body that partially exercises executive power in the state. which has not had a president since 2021 and where elections have been held since 2016.
The gangs often attack civilians, although an international armed force led by Kenya began to be deployed in the summer.
Volker Turk also referred to reports that lynchings are on the rise.
Authorities announced yesterday Tuesday that police and citizen "defense" groups killed 28 gang members in Port-au-Prince.
"The violence of the gangs must not prevail against the institutions of the state", noted Mr. Turkey, demanding "tangible measures (…) to protect the population and restore an effective rule of law".
Source: cnn.gr
