16.01.2025 10:40
The United Nations' new report states that gangs in Haiti killed at least 5,600 people last year and that 3,700 others were injured or kidnapped. Additionally, criticism has arisen regarding the Biden administration's inadequate response to this crisis.
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According to the United Nations' new report, gangs in Haiti killed at least 5,600 people last year. The report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that 3,700 people were also injured or kidnapped, while criticisms of the Biden administration's inadequacy have increased.
Andrés Martínez-Fernández, a senior policy analyst for Latin America at the Heritage Foundation, stated, "The Biden administration approached the crisis piecemeal and politically. It focused on preventing an explosion of the situation before the elections but did not solve the problem."
The State Department announced that $629 million in financial and equipment support has been provided to Haiti, of which $600 million has been used. This figure remains quite low compared to the $113 billion in support given to Ukraine.
In a horrific incident that occurred in early December in the capital, the Wharf Jérémie gang massacred at least 207 people. The victims, most of whom were elderly, were accused of using witchcraft to harm the gang leader's son. The bodies were dismembered and burned, with some thrown into the sea.
According to VOA's latest report, gangs control approximately 85% of the capital. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated, "These figures cannot fully reflect the horrific events in Haiti, but they show the ongoing violence that people are exposed to."
Of the 2,500 personnel promised to the UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), only 500 have begun their duties. Most of the personnel have not been paid for months and are outnumbered by the 12,000 gang members in the country.
The State Department noted that a senior gang leader was killed in a joint operation by the MSS and Haitian police on December 15, but acknowledged that more needs to be done in the face of increasing violence.
In the UN report, Türk reiterated the call for the Security Council to fully implement sanctions and an arms embargo against Haiti. "The weapons entering Haiti mostly fall into the hands of criminal gangs and have tragic consequences: thousands dead, hundreds of thousands displaced, and essential infrastructure and services like schools and hospitals disrupted and destroyed," he said.
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