Haiti

The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021 accelerated a decades-long collapse of governance. Power vacuums filled with armed groups. A transitional government struggles to function. Six consecutive years of recession. Food prices up 33% year-over-year. Inflation approaching 40% on food items. The state exists in name; gangs control the streets.

Armed groups control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince. They control roads, extort businesses, kidnap for ransom, and fight each other for territory. The Organization of American States has determined that gang activities—including mass killing, rape, torture, and enslavement—constitute crimes against humanity due to their coordinated and widespread nature. Over 1,000 schools forced to close. Hundreds of children recruited as fighters.

The UN authorized a 5,550-member "gang suppression force" to replace a smaller mission that struggled with funding shortages. Kenya leads the multinational security mission. Results remain limited against entrenched armed groups with territorial control, weapons, and economic resources from extortion and kidnapping.

Haitians are in "despair" following the abrupt suspension of US humanitarian support. The UN has called for the immediate restoration of aid as the country faces its worst crisis in decades. The suspension affects food, medical, and protection programs for millions.

Gangs are pushing violence beyond Port-au-Prince into Haiti's northwest. The International Crisis Group warns of efforts to undo the fragile "Viv Ansanm" gang alliance. Residents report living in constant fear as armed groups expand territorial control. The state's capacity to respond remains virtually non-existent.

Haiti's Humanitarian Coordinator launched the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan. The staggering ask: $880 million to assist 4.2 million people as the crisis continues to deteriorate. The plan reflects how the situation has worsened at an accelerating pace—more money needed for more people in deeper crisis.

Armed groups attacked Verrettes, killing six and injuring several others. The attack underscores how gang violence continues to fuel displacement and humanitarian needs. No part of Haiti is safe.

December marked the second consecutive month of precipitation shortfalls, raising concerns about already fragile agricultural production. Gang control of farming regions has already devastated food production; drought worsens an impossible situation.

Humanitarian agencies released key findings on the scope of needs across Haiti. The assessment documents the convergence of displacement, hunger, violence, and institutional collapse affecting millions.

Armed groups have expanded beyond Port-au-Prince into agricultural regions, disrupting food production and supply chains. Nearly six million people—more than half the country—face acute hunger. The lean season will make it worse.

UN reports that displacement has increased 24% since December 2024. Over 1.3 million people forced from their homes. Many shelter in overcrowded temporary sites without basic services. Humanitarian funding remains insufficient for the scale of need.

The Organization of American States formally determined that the coordinated and widespread nature of gang violence—including mass killings, rape, torture, and enslavement—meets the legal threshold for crimes against humanity. This is not random crime. It is systematic.

Haiti demonstrates what happens when a state loses control of its territory. Armed groups fill the vacuum. Violence becomes governance. Those with weapons eat; those without starve. International missions struggle against entrenched power structures built on extortion and fear.

The population is not passive. People survive. They adapt. They flee when they can. But they have nowhere to go—the gangs control the roads, the ports, the agricultural land. Half the country is hungry. The crisis is not improving. It is getting worse.