Gangs tighten grip on Haiti despite more aggressive policing

One in four Haitians live in areas controlled by criminal gangs, according to a report by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday, which found armed groups continued to consolidate their control over swathes of the Caribbean island despite more aggressive policing.



At least 5,519 people were killed and 2,608 injured between January 2025 and March 2026, when the government and private military contractor Vectus Global launched anti-gang drone operations.



Of these, over 60% were casualties in anti-gang security operations, 27% were killed or injured by gangs, 8% by self-defense groups, 3% by police and 1% by summary executions by local authorities.



51 children were killed and 38 injured during security operations, the report found, as stray bullets and explosives hit people in their homes or in the streets.