Record Haitian Gang Violence Amid Criticism of US Strategy “`
A new United Nations report reveals that Haitian gangs murdered at least 5,600 individuals last year, with an additional 3,700 injured or kidnapped. This has prompted criticism of the Biden administration’s response to the crisis.
Andrés Martínez-Fernández, a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, described the administration’s approach as fragmented and politically motivated, prioritizing election-related concerns over a comprehensive solution.
A State Department spokesperson stated that the Biden administration has provided $629 million in financial and material aid to Haiti, with $600 million already disbursed. This contrasts sharply with the over $113 billion allocated to Ukraine by Congress.
Martínez-Fernández highlighted a lack of clear strategy in both the Haiti and Ukraine interventions.
A brutal December incident saw the Wharf Jérémie gang massacre at least 207 people in Port-au-Prince, many elderly, falsely accused of practicing voodoo against the gang leader’s son. Victims were mutilated, burned, and dumped at sea.
Gang violence controls approximately 85% of the capital, according to a recent VOA report.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that the statistics only partially reflect the horrifying violence inflicted upon Haiti’s population, underscoring the unrelenting brutality.
Türk stressed the critical need to restore the rule of law and urged strong logistical and financial support for the U.N.-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to effectively execute its mandate.
While the MSS pledged over 2,500 personnel, only about 500 have been deployed, many facing months of unpaid wages and vastly outnumbered by the estimated 12,000 gang members operating in the country.
While the State Department defended its actions, citing a joint December 15th operation between the MSS and Haitian police resulting in the death of a prominent gang leader, it acknowledged the need for increased efforts in the face of escalating violence.
The spokesperson stated that current personnel levels are inadequate for restoring law and order, adding that the U.S. supports Haiti’s request to transition the MSS mission to a UNPKO (United Nations Peacekeeping Operation).
Martínez-Fernández expressed skepticism about this transition, citing significant feasibility challenges, particularly the lack of Security Council approval, with China’s anticipated veto.
In the U.N. report, Türk reiterated his call for full implementation of U.N. Security Council sanctions and the arms embargo on Haiti to curb the flow of weapons fueling the violence.
“Weapons flowing into Haiti often end up in the hands of the criminal gangs, with tragic results: thousands killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, essential infrastructure and services, such as schools and hospitals, disrupted and destroyed.”