Call for Unified Action Amid Haiti's Escalating Crisis

Haiti is experiencing severe violence, averaging nearly 13 deaths per day this year, as per a United Nations report. The UN recommends stricter arms trafficking controls as gang warfare exacerbates the humanitarian crisis. Calls are also being made for turning the existing mission into a formal peacekeeping endeavor for better stability and funding.

Haiti is grappling with extreme levels of violence, with nearly 13 people losing their lives daily, the United Nations reported Friday. The escalating gang warfare is intensifying the country's humanitarian crisis, urging the need for tighter arms trafficking controls, among other critical measures.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,451 individuals have been killed since January, with a plea to prevent further loss of life. Commissioner Volker Turk expressed concern over the upcoming expiry of a U.N. mandate supporting Haitian police. Despite Haiti's request for a mission in 2022, only a fraction of the promised troops have arrived, resulting in inadequate funding.

Gangs have increasingly recruited children, contributing to almost 100 child fatalities this year. The violence, primarily fueled by arms trafficking from the U.S., Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, has expanded beyond the capital. Poorly monitored borders and airspaces have enabled gangs to obtain high-caliber weapons and endless supplies of bullets, severely displacing the local population. Nearly 1.6 million people are now facing emergency food insecurity, nearing famine levels.

(With inputs from agencies.)