IACHR condemns deteriorating security situation in Haiti

March 12, 2025

Washington, DC—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expressed its profound concern about the alarming deterioration of the security situation in Haiti, amid a recent escalation of extreme armed gang violence that continues to claim lives and cause mass civilian displacements.

Over the period January 27–30, more than 50 people were reportedly murdered in Kenscoff by armed members of the criminal organization Viv Ansanm. The IACHR further condemns the murder of a 2-month-old baby on February 14 and the death a day later of the infant's mother, who according to official reports could not survive the pain caused by her son's killing. According to publicly available reports, the baby was burned by gang members in his mother's presence, while the woman was injured.

On the night of February 16–17, 2025, a massacre perpetrated in the area of Château Blond and Petit-Roupeau, on the Route de Frères, left at least 20 people dead, including five members of a single family. On February 12, in Montrouis, one police officer was killed and four others were injured in an attack targeting Haiti's National Police (PNH). On February 25, two soldiers from Haiti's Armed Forces were murdered in Delmas 30, showing the growing threat faced by members of the country's law enforcement and military organizations as well as by civilians.

These events follow others that were previously reported by the IACHR and evidence the lethal power of criminal gangs in Haiti and the lack of effective responses to stop them. Violence in Haiti entails serious risks for civilians' lives and safety, and it exposes the lack of State control over armed gangs. This context intensifies the forced displacement of thousands of people due to violence. In less than one month, more than 6,000 people were forced to leave their homes, according to a UN report published in February.

Haiti is immersed in a humanitarian crisis on an unprecedented scale, and the relentless attacks of armed gangs continue to make the most of the country's evident institutional weakness. The IACHR stresses its urgent call on the international community and Haitian authorities, who should take immediate, effective action to protect civilians, strengthen the rule of law, and protect the safety and the fundamental rights of the Haitian people.

The IACHR further stresses its commitment to monitoring the situation in Haiti and to deploying all its mechanisms to help to restore safeguards for human rights in the country.

The IACHR is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 052/25

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