At least 1,247 people were killed and 710 injured in Haiti between July and September 2025, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). The surge in violence stems from ongoing clashes between armed gangs, self-defense groups, and unorganized members of the population.

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The UN report found that 30 percent of the deaths were caused by gang attacks, 9 percent by actions of self-defense groups and civilians, and 61 percent during security operations carried out against armed groups. Men made up 83 percent of the victims, while women accounted for 14 percent and children for 3 percent.

Although gangs have lost ground in parts of Port-au-Prince — including Delmas 19, Route de l’Aéroport, and the city center — BINUH warned that violence is expanding toward the outskirts of the capital and into the Artibonite and Centre departments. Gangs continue to use sexual violence and child trafficking — including forced recruitment and exploitation — as tools of control in the territories they dominate.

The report documented 39 civilian casualties from drone attacks during the period, as well as 78 summary or arbitrary executions attributed to police officers, and one linked to the government commissioner of Miragoâne. Eight security officers were killed and 17 injured during operations.

By the end of September, at least 1.4 million people were internally displaced across the country. The UN also reported 145 kidnappings for ransom and 400 cases of sexual violence.

“The sexual violence perpetrated by armed gangs remains alarming,” the report stated. “Most of these acts are collective rapes, often committed during home invasions or when victims are moving through the streets.”

The UN highlighted that such violence — often used for punishment or exploitation — inflicts severe physical, psychological, economic, and social harm on survivors and their families. Child trafficking remains a particular concern, driven by poverty, social exclusion, and the criminal governance imposed by gangs in areas under their control.

“In this context of armed violence, the population continues to face serious barriers to accessing basic services, while gang attacks on homes, public infrastructure, and other buildings continue to trigger mass displacement,” BINUH noted.

The report urged the Haitian government to strengthen the coordination and effectiveness of national security forces in their response to armed gangs. It also called on the international community to keep Haiti on the global agenda and provide the financial and human resources needed to fully deploy the Gang Suppression Force (FRG), as authorized under UN Security Council Resolution 2793 of September 30, 2025, in accordance with human rights standards.

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