Over 4 Years, Random Killings in Gang Informant Crackdown Equal Total Homicides in Korea
More than 3,600 people have reportedly been killed this year in Haiti, a Caribbean island nation turned lawless due to gang control.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) posted a report titled "Human Rights Situation in Haiti" on its website on the 27th (local time) containing this information.
According to the 16-page report, at least 3,661 people have died since January this year in Haiti due to violence by gang members, including deaths, injuries, and kidnappings. This number is comparable to the total number of homicide cases (3,931) that occurred in South Korea from 2018 to 2022.
Haiti, considered the poorest country in the Americas, has seen deteriorating security in recent years due to conflicts among gang coalitions such as G9 and G-Pep. Especially after then-President Jovenel Mo?se was assassinated at his residence in 2021 and Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned, administrative functions have effectively collapsed amid worsening security due to gang violence and poverty.
Volker T?rk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, appealed to the international community in a separate press release, stating, "Effective and sustained responses to criminal organizations require appropriate and sufficient equipment and personnel."
However, gangs known to be leading the violent incidents previously held a press conference expressing resentment toward international intervention, saying, "The people of Haiti will decide their own fate."
Earlier this year, US broadcasters CNN and CBS reported that "the UN estimates that gangs control 80% of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti."
Currently, battles between police and gangs frequently occur in Port-au-Prince, and residents are refraining from going outside, leaving the streets empty. Roads leading to the outskirts of the city and to the port are blocked by gangs, and Port-au-Prince International Airport has been closed. Major grocery stores have run out of food, and gas stations reportedly have almost no fuel left. Hospitals are on emergency alert due to blood shortages.
The UN also reported that serious violence and human rights violations have been confirmed not only in the capital Port-au-Prince but also in the southwestern region, where gang activity had been relatively rare. The report includes incidents where gangs randomly shot residents, identified and killed residents who provided information about gangs in broad daylight, mutilated bodies, and set them on fire.
The UN report also noted cases where male gang members committed sexual violence against female residents, instilling fear among the population.
Currently, a multinational police force led by Kenya is working with local military and police to stabilize security in Haiti. Kenyan President William Ruto stated in his speech at the UN General Assembly the day before that "the goal is to deploy 2,500 personnel by January next year."
Edgar Leblanc, the interim chairman of Haiti, urged the international community to consider "converting the multinational police operation into a UN peacekeeping mission."
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