A statement released by the UN chief’s spokesperson ratified his support for the National Police and the Multinational Security Support Mission to confront the growing violence.

However, Guterres reiterated his urgent call for the Kenyan-led force to receive the financial and logistical support necessary to fulfill its mandate successfully, and called for urgent progress in the political transition.

According to reports from humanitarian agencies on the ground, more than 17,000 Haitians have sought refuge in 15 displacement sites in recent weeks as critical supply chains collapse in Port-au-Prince.

At least 20,000 people have fled their homes in Haiti’s capital following a new surge in violence in the Caribbean country.

The current wave of displacement, the largest since August 2023, coincides with the expanded control by armed groups in the capital, leaving the national police overwhelmed and ill equipped.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), access to the main port remains restricted and roads are controlled by gangs, so essential supplies cannot reach the vulnerable population.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Office has reported at least 4,000 deaths in 2024 alone due to gang-related violence.

This instability also leads to alarming rates of gender-based violence, including sexual violence used as a weapon of terror, while women and children bear a disproportionate burden of the crisis.

According to the organization, 94 percent of displaced Haitian women are at bigger risk of violence.

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