Haiti’s capital could fall to armed gangs at any moment: Report

• A new report reveals Haiti’s capital is in danger of falling to violent gangs as gangs now control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince. The findings come as Haiti’s humanitarian crisis worsens.
• Many Haitians are unable to leave the country because of gang control of main roads and neighborhoods.
• More than a million Haitians are now displaced and many face disease outbreaks, while only a fraction of the country’s hospitals remain operational.

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Haiti’s capital is in danger of falling to armed gangs, according to a new report on Tuesday, March 25.

What are the latest numbers?

Officials said criminals now control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince and in the past month, a record 60,000 people have fled their homes, adding to the more than one million people already displaced.

The makeshift camps many are forced to live in are often unsanitary and, reportedly, nine in 10 Haitians go all day without eating.

Why can’t humanitarian groups help?

Humanitarian aid groups can do little to help Haitians. Many aid group officials said worsening violence has shut down their operations.

According to officials, gang violence has left less than 30% of hospitals in Haiti operational amid outbreaks of diseases like cholera and tuberculosis.

Why is there no escape?

For Haitians trapped in the country, there are few ways out as these violent gangs control most neighborhoods and roads in and out of the capital.

The gangs have also taken control of all roads to and from Port-au-Prince’s international airport. The Federal Aviation Administration banned flights to Haiti after gunfire struck several planes in November 2024.

Despite the danger near the airport, gangs have not taken control of the airport itself. The Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission currently uses the airport as its headquarters. MSS officials said they are vastly undermanned and underfunded.

What else can be done?

U.N. officials called for the effort to be turned into a hybrid peacekeeping and security mission. They are also asking for more officers to be deployed.

The U.N., however, said that without more funding from the United States and other countries, the mission risks failure.

International scholars also asked authorities to stop illegal arms transfers into Haiti. They claim many of these illegal firearms originate from Florida.

The U.N. secretary-general said the further collapse of the capital to gangs is evidence of crumbling police infrastructure within the island nation.