Haiti, a Caribbean country, has been riddled with gang violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7th, 2021. Rival gangs have recently forced hundreds of people to flee their homes, as tensions have been high between gang members in the neighbourhoods of Croix-des-Bouquets, Cité Soleil, Bas Delmas and Martissant. Mr. Farhan Haq, a UN deputy spokesperson, stated, “According to our humanitarian colleagues, violence in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets has displaced more than 1,200 people… at least 26 civilians have been killed and 22 injured, although these figures are probably higher.”

Dozens of houses have been burned, thus causing schools, medical centers, and markets to close. Recently, a hospital in Marin was looted, leaving patients and workers very frightened of gang looting. Like many war-torn countries, displaced citizens have little access to clean water, food and sanitation kits. 

To contain the ever-growing need for healthcare, Haiti’s Civil Protection General Directorate has activated an early warning system, called the Displacement Tracking Matrix. The Displacement Tracking Matrix is responsible for gathering and analyzing data to assess the mobility, vulnerabilities, and needs of displaced and mobile populations. Perhaps the knowledge provided by the DTM will be helpful in accessing funding and humanitarian services. 

Another struggle faced by Haitians is gang-related kidnappings, of both foreigners and locals. Often, kidnappers of foreigners demand large ransoms. Recently, a Dominican diplomat was said to have been kidnapped on Monday while travelling through a gang-controlled area.

Little progress has been made in the past year regarding the kidnapping crisis. In 2021, statistics released show that more than 1,200 people were kidnapped in Haiti, with 81 kidnaped people being foreign nationals. Unfortunately, Haitian victims rarely get media coverage. Ten percent of these kidnappings were so-called “collective abductions,” which is when gang members abduct a group of people. 

However, a small victory has occurred in the United States, as the grand jury has indicted a Haitian gang leader for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a group of Christian missionaries in Haiti last year. The U.S. Justice Department said that Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” was indicted for “conspiracy to commit hostage taking” over the kidnapping of 17 missionaries near the capital, Port-au-Prince, in October 2021. Germine is known to be affiliated with the 400 Mawozo gang, which is responsible for significant violence in the area. 

According to a local human rights organization, the kidnapped victims included five children, including an eight-month-old infant, as well as their Haitian driver. Five of the abductees were released in November and December of 2021, and on December 16th, 2021, the remaining 12 missionaries managed to escape. The U.S. Justice Department also notes that although Germine was in a Haitian prison when the kidnapping took place, he directed ransom negotiation and decided on when the hostages were released. 

Germine was transferred to the U.S. from a Haitian prison on May 3rd, 2022. However, peace amongst Haitian gangs is grim, even with Germine locked up. According to the New Humanitarian, the number of gangs in Port-au-Prince has grown from roughly three dozen in 2004 to more than 200 today. Most Haitian gang members are youth, which infers that stronger communal and national support could aid the country’s struggling grasp of violence.