PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visited Haiti on Tuesday as the Caribbean nation faces worsening gang violence, a growing humanitarian emergency and preparations for the deployment of a newly approved international security force.
The visit comes amid mounting concern over deteriorating conditions in Haiti, where U.N. figures show that more than 2,300 people have been killed this year, around 100 have been kidnapped and approximately 1.5 million people have been displaced by violence.
Among those recently abducted was James Boyard, cabinet director at Haiti’s Defense Ministry, who was kidnapped last week in an area of the capital previously regarded as relatively secure.
Security Crisis Continues to Worsen
Guterres arrived in Port-au-Prince days after a deadly outbreak of violence in the seaside district of Cité Soleil. The Cooperative for Peace and Development, a local human rights organization, reported that more than 30 people were killed, injured or remain missing following clashes there over the weekend.
Traveling through sections of the capital, the U.N. chief passed neighborhoods marked by extensive destruction, including abandoned homes, damaged commercial buildings and structures scarred by gunfire.
Public frustration with armed groups was evident in graffiti visible along parts of the route. One message denounced Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition that U.S. authorities have designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The federation is estimated to control roughly 70% of Port-au-Prince.
The violence has fueled unprecedented displacement across the capital. The U.N. International Organization for Migration reported that more than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes in Port-au-Prince alone, including over 18,000 residents who fled Cité Soleil during May.
Gregoire Goodstein, the organization’s chief of mission in Haiti, recently warned that the country’s displacement emergency is entering an increasingly alarming stage.
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International Force Nears Operational Launch
One of Guterres’ first stops was the headquarters of a new multinational force approved by the U.N. Security Council in September.
The force is intended to support Haiti’s National Police in confronting heavily armed gangs and will replace a previous U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that struggled with staffing and funding shortages.
According to officials, personnel from Jamaica, Chad, El Salvador and Guatemala have joined the mission, bringing troop numbers to fewer than 1,000 so far. Operations are expected to begin within the coming weeks.
The international force is expected to work alongside Haiti’s police and armed forces as authorities attempt to regain control of territory dominated by criminal groups.
Hundreds of Haitians seeking to join the country’s expanding security institutions gathered near recruitment centers during Guterres’ visit.
Political Transition Faces Pressure
The U.N. secretary-general also met privately with Prime Minister Alix Didier-Fils-Aimé, whose transitional administration faces growing pressure to restore stability and organize national elections.
Haiti has not had an elected president since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his private residence in July 2021, leaving the country in prolonged political uncertainty.
Following the meeting, Fils-Aimé said discussions focused on Haiti’s current challenges and the government’s plans for the future. He described security as the central requirement for holding elections and restoring constitutional governance.
The prime minister also said international partners supporting the new security mission must fulfill their commitments to ensure the operation’s effectiveness.
Displaced Families Describe Harsh Conditions
Guterres later visited a temporary shelter established in a former school, where displaced families have been living after being forced from their communities by gang attacks.
Some residents told the U.N. chief they had spent years in overcrowded conditions after fleeing neighborhoods that were burned or overrun by armed groups.
Clifford Lala, a 31-year-old resident, said he did not believe it was yet safe to return to Solino, once considered one of the final neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince resisting gang control.
Inside the shelter, women described severe shortages of privacy and basic services. Residents said more than 1,200 people share limited facilities, while only one meal per day is guaranteed.
Guterres told those gathered that the United Nations would continue efforts to assist them.
Outside the facility, some residents demanded the opportunity to return safely to their homes. Wendy Cejour, who said his family has lived at the shelter for more than a year, expressed hope that conditions would eventually improve despite ongoing hardship.
Calls for Greater International Action
Ahead of the visit, Human Rights Watch published a letter urging the United Nations to strengthen protection efforts for civilians and address the underlying causes of violence and human rights abuses in Haiti.
At the conclusion of his visit, Guterres said the suffering he witnessed left a lasting impression.
He noted that daily life for many Haitians has become a struggle for survival and emphasized that women and children continue to bear a disproportionate share of the crisis.
As the new international force prepares to begin operations, Haiti’s authorities and international partners face increasing pressure to restore security and create conditions for political stability in a country confronting one of the region’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.
Tags: Haiti, United Nations, António Guterres, Gang Violence, Port-au-Prince, Humanitarian Crisis, Security Force, Caribbean
