About 90 people died in clashes between gangs that were registered last week in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, according to the National Human Rights Defense Network RNDDH. A further 75 people were injured and 16 reported missing as violence intensified in the city’s most volatile neighborhoods.
The RNDDH report explains that the fighting was led by Gabriel Jean Pierre, the gang leader known as Ti Gabriel, and an armed coalition called the G-9 and Fanmi e Alye. The epicenter of the confrontations was Nan Brooklyn in the Cité Soleil district, where daily life and security were severely disrupted. The document highlights how the battles disrupted markets, schools, and basic services in a way that has become all too familiar for residents of the area.
RNDDH notes that the G-9, allied with Fanmi e Alye and led by a figure nicknamed G-Pep, launched an assault on Nan Brooklyn with the aim of pushing Ti Gabriel out of the zone and seizing control of the entire Cité Soleil commune, as reported by the Haitian news outlet Gazette Haiti. The toll included 21 people burned, 74 others wounded by gunfire or stabbing, and 127 affected by blasts or arson carried out by armed groups. The organization stresses that these clashes are not isolated incidents but part of a continuing pattern of gang violence in the region, underscoring a crisis that has lingered for years and shows little sign of abating.
In a broader historical context, RNDDH detailed earlier clashes from January to May 2021 that left 44 people dead, 15 injured and seven missing. The report also criticizes authorities and Prime Minister Ariel Henry for what it calls a recurring approach that tolerates or even enables armed groups by allowing a political framework under which such violence can thrive. It points to governance issues during the Jovenel Moïse administration and argues that armed gangs were used to create fear and influence political conditions in the country, a finding that adds a layer of critique to the country’s political timeline.
The RNDDH adds that civilians remain the primary victims of these shootings and massacres in deprived neighborhoods since 2018, with the impact felt most acutely by the elderly, children, infants, and those with reduced mobility. The report also condemns the police force for failing to intervene and denounces the broader inertia of authorities who did not respond promptly to the bloodshed. It calls on leaders to end nepotism linking authorities with armed gangs and to halt the provision of money, weapons, and ammunition to those groups, arguing that a lack of accountability fuels cycles of violence rather than resolving them.
Meanwhile, demonstrations took place across Port-au-Prince on Wednesday in response to a fuel shortage. Barricades appeared in several parts of the city as motorbike taxi drivers and dissidents urged public mobilization in support of relief from the crisis. The protests highlight how intersecting challenges—security, energy supply, and governance—are shaping daily life in the capital and widening the gap between residents and the institutions meant to protect them.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA warned that 1.5 million Haitians lack access to basic services due to ongoing gang clashes in Port-au-Prince. OCHA’s Haiti office emphasized an immediate need for safe access for humanitarian workers to deliver essential aid, underscoring the critical humanitarian stakes in the capital. In parallel, Médecins Sans Frontières MSF reported that thousands of residents in Cité Soleil have been left without water, food, or medical care as armed groups vie for control of the district, illustrating a humanitarian emergency that stretches beyond immediate violence to include essential needs like health and nutrition.
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s political and economic situation has remained unstable. The power vacuum has evolved into a security crisis marked by daily killings and kidnappings, particularly in major areas of the capital. The term of President Henry, whose tenure officially ended on February 7, has further intensified questions about legitimacy and the country’s economic prospects, while the nation continues to grapple with the fallout from decades of political turmoil and violence. Observers note that the convergence of political fragility and gang activity complicates efforts to restore order and deliver aid, requiring a coordinated approach from local authorities and international partners.