A stark United Nations assessment has revealed Haiti descended into unprecedented violence throughout 2025, with armed gangs inflicting a devastating human toll and bringing the nation to a critical juncture. According to the latest report from the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), presented to the Security Council on January 15, 2026, more than 8,100 Haitians were killed between January and November 2025 due to armed violence, a figure believed to be a significant undercount given limited access to gang-controlled territories.
The crisis has evolved beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince, with gang networks expanding their influence into strategic regions including Arcahaie, Mirebalais, Lascahobas, and the Artibonite department. This geographical spread has effectively paralyzed vital commercial and humanitarian routes, severely undermining state authority. Armed groups systematically targeted individuals suspected of collaborating with or resisting police forces, employing sexual violence primarily against women and girls as a punitive weapon of war.
In response, the Haitian National Police (PNH), supported by the Haitian Armed Forces and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), intensified counter-operations. These efforts succeeded in reopening several major national roads, though the overall security situation remains critically fragile. Despite a marginal 6.2% decrease in violence within the capital in the final quarter, violence exploded in provincial areas, nearly doubling in certain rural regions. The Artibonite and Center departments reported 1,916 deaths in 2025, a sharp increase from the 1,050 recorded during the same period in 2024.
Beyond killings, gangs sustained campaigns of kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and systematic property destruction. These actions have severely hindered public access to essential services, including healthcare and education, while exacerbating severe food insecurity and economic hardship. The report also highlights a disturbing rise in child trafficking, with gangs coercing minors into various roles, including participation in violent attacks.
The coordinated assaults, often executed with weapons of war on multiple fronts, signify a grave and deteriorating security situation that demands urgent international attention and a reinforced response to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.