GENEVA - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday expressed deep concern at the latest intensification of violence in Port-au-Prince as a coalition of gangs pushes for full control of the Haitian capital. At least 150 people have been killed, 92 injured and about 20,000 forced to flee their homes over the past week.
"Port-au-Prince's estimated four million people, are practically being held hostage as gangs now control all the main roads in and out of the capital," said Türk.
"The latest upsurge in violence in Haiti's capital is a harbinger of worse to come. The gang violence must be promptly halted. Haiti must not be allowed to descend further into chaos."
At least 55 percent of the deaths from simultaneous and apparently coordinated attacks in the capital arose from exchanges of fire between gang members and police. There have also been reports of a rise in mob lynchings.
In a night-time attack on 18 November, gang members attempted to take control of the Pétion-Ville suburb, one of the last few districts of the capital not controlled by gangs. The previous day the police had foiled a gang attack on the National Police Academy.
The deaths and injuries from the latest violence, which began on 11 November, bring the verified casualty toll of the gang violence so far this year to a shocking 4,544 dead and 2,060 injured. The real toll is likely higher still. In addition, an estimated 700,000 people are internally displaced across the country - fully half of them children.
"The endless gang violence and widespread insecurity are deepening the dire humanitarian crisis in the country, including the impacts of severe food and water shortages and the spread of infectious diseases, at a time when the health system is already on the brink of collapse," said the High Commissioner. "Threats and attacks on humanitarian workers are also deeply worrying."
"Gang violence must not prevail over the institutions of the State. Concrete steps must be taken to bolster the Haitian police force and support the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti to protect the population and to restore effective rule of law."
