UN officials report rising gang violence, mass displacement and severe humanitarian needs.

On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Haiti at a time when his institution is warning about the severity of the human rights situation in the Caribbean nation.

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“I have just arrived in Port-au-Prince on a solidarity visit with the people of Haiti. The humanitarian situation here is desperate, but there are faint glimmers of hope. My message to the international community: Stop looking away. We must stand with Haiti,” he posted on X.

Previously, during an address to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk declared that “gang violence has caused at least 2,300 deaths, more than 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings in Haiti since the beginning of 2026.”

Türk urged Haitian authorities to strengthen judicial mechanisms to combat impunity and prosecute those responsible for human rights violations. He also underscored the urgent need to deploy the Gang Suppression Force (FRG).

The text reads, “Haiti. Rape is increasingly used by gangs to terrorize and control communities.”

Created to replace the Multinational Security Support Mission, the FRG will encompass up to 5,500 police officers and military personnel. Guterres’ visit is expected to include a stop at the UN office responsible for providing logistical support to this new international force.

“Alongside the security crisis, the United Nations continues to report an alarming humanitarian situation. Nearly 1.5 million people are internally displaced and more than 5 million Haitians are suffering from severe food insecurity,” AlterPresse reported.

“The 2026 UN humanitarian response plan, estimated at US$880 million, remains largely underfunded, while the hurricane season has already begun in the Caribbean region,” it added.

On Monday night, Antonio Guterres arrived in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, where he will return to meet with President Luis Abinader on Wednesday.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: AlterPresse – EFE

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