Gang Violence in Haiti Displaces Thousands More People as Government Declares 'War' on Armed Groups

Nearly 11,000 people have fled their homes in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, following recent attacks by armed gangs in Poste Marchand and nearby areas, just blocks from the National Palace. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported Friday that the violence, which persisted even during the Christmas holidays, has pushed families into a desperate struggle for survival.

The IOM said 10,867 people were displaced by the escalating attacks, with 95% seeking refuge in 18 locations, including four newly established shelters, EFE reported. This surge adds to the nearly 800,000 Haitians internally displaced by gang violence across the country. Armed groups now control about 85% of Port-au-Prince, which houses one-third of Haiti's population.

Addressing the crisis during a speech marking the 221st anniversary of Haiti's independence, Leslie Voltaire, President of the Transitional Presidential Council, declared "war" on the gangs. Voltaire called for reclaiming territories controlled or threatened by armed groups, with the goal of creating a secure environment for elections, which have been delayed for years. "The year 2025 is crucial for restoring peace and laying the groundwork for national recovery," he said.

The gang violence, which claimed over 5,000 lives in 2024, has compounded Haiti's broader humanitarian crisis. According to the latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 5.4 million Haitians, or half the population, are struggling to find food daily.

The World Food Programme described the situation as the worst hunger emergency in the Western Hemisphere, noting in an October report that it represents one of the highest proportions of acute food insecurity in any global crisis.

As Haiti grapples with violence and hunger, the government's focus remains on combating the gangs that have sown chaos and terror across the nation. Last month, the Bernard Mevs Hospital, the country's only neurological trauma center left, was set on fire by criminal gangs, devastating a critical medical facility that had served the country's nearly 12 million people.

The 87-bed hospital, located in Port-au-Prince, had survived past crises, including the 2010 earthquake and a deadly Covid-19 outbreak. But it could not withstand the ongoing violence unleashed by gang members, who attacked the facility with Molotov cocktails.

Haitian children are at the heart of a worsening humanitarian crisis marked by hunger, displacement, and escalating violence that includes child soldiers, according to another report. Over 1.5 million children have lost access to education, and many face growing risks of exploitation, including recruitment into armed gangs, UNICEF reported during a U.N. special meeting.

Gang recruitment of minors has soared by 70% in the past year, with children now making between 30% and 50% of gang members, according to the U.N.'s leading child welfare agency, UNICEF. Reports of sexual violence against children have risen by 1,000%, further underscoring the dire situation.