Gang violence displaced a record 1.3 million people in Haiti, UN report finds

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Gang violence has displaced a record 1.3 million people across Haiti as the local government and international community struggle to contain the spiraling crisis, according to a new report released Wednesday.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration warned of a 24% increase in displaced people since December, with gunmen now having chased 11% of Haiti's nearly 12 million inhabitants from their home.

Much of the gang violence remains centered in Port-au-Prince, but more than 230,000 people alone have been left homeless as gunmen continue to lay siege in the two largest regions north of the capital, officials said.

"We need to act urgently. The strength of the Haitian people is humbling, but resilience cannot be their only refuge," Amy Pope, IOM's director general, said in a statement.

The number of makeshift shelters also has skyrocketed by more than 70%, from 142 to 246, with much of the increase reported in Haiti's once peaceful central region. The IOM noted that for the first time, regions outside Port-au-Prince have more shelters than the capital, given the ongoing violence in towns like Mirebalais and Petite Rivière.

Overall, more than 80% of those displaced are staying with friends or family, although in Port-au-Prince, the majority of those displaced are staying in crowded and unsanitary makeshift shelters that include abandoned government buildings.

"Many now face life without access to health care, schools, and clean water, leaving already vulnerable families struggling to survive," according to the IOM.

Hours after the report was released, officials with the U.N, the Inter American Development Bank and Haiti's government and civil society gathered behind closed doors to talk about the situation.

"The crisis...is only getting worse," Bob Rae, president of the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council, said ahead of the meeting.

He and other officials said it's not enough to only tackle Haiti's security crisis. Gangs that control at least 85% of Port-au-Prince are recruiting a growing number of children in the deeply impoverished country.

"Without development, we have no security, without security, we have no development," Rae said.

A U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police is helping Haitian authorities fight gangs, but it remains underfunded and understaffed, with only some 1,000 personnel out of the 2,500 envisioned.

Rae stressed that the international community is looking beyond the U.N. Security Council for help, saying that more bilateral talks are needed with the U.S., the U.K. and countries in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. He also said talks are ongoing with the Organization of American States, which has been prodded to help.

On Monday, Leslie Voltaire, one of seven voting members on Haiti's transitional presidential council, praised the OAS's new secretary general for his commitment to help Haiti, but issued a warning.

"Haiti cannot contemplate dialogue with terrorists," he wrote on X, referring to armed gangs. "Peace cannot be built by making a pact with terrorists."