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Security Council Renews UN's Haiti Mission Amid Spiralling Crises
Security Council Renews UN's Haiti Mission Amid Spiralling Crises

Scoop

time6 days ago

  • Politics
  • Scoop

Security Council Renews UN's Haiti Mission Amid Spiralling Crises

14 July 2025 By adopting resolution 2785, the Council renewed the authorization of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), reaffirming support for a Haitian-led solution to the island nation's overlapping crises. The decision comes as armed gangs maintain their grip on most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, with over 1.3 million people displaced and more than 4,000 killed in the first half of 2025 alone, according to UN figures. Conditions have deteriorated dramatically amid growing food insecurity and the erosion of public institutions. Of particular concern is the safety of women and girls, with a sharp rise in reports of sexual violence since the start of the year – including rape, gang rape, and sexual enslavement. Time is running out The Security Council also 'expressed its intention to consider, without delay' the recommendations by the Secretary-General on possible future roles for the UN in sustaining security and stability in Haiti. In February, António Guterres presented the Council with a range of options. ' Each new wave of criminal attacks against the communities and institutions of Haiti is a distressing sign that time is running out,' the UN chief said in a letter. He urged Member States to support the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, which the Council authorized in October 2023 to assist Haiti's national police in tackling gang violence and restoring order. He also emphasized that international efforts to improve security must be matched by national progress toward resolving the political crisis. Several Council members voiced willingness to engage on the Secretary-General's proposals. The Chinese representative, for instance, said Beijing was open to working with others to chart a constructive way forward. 'With regard to how to improve the situation in Haiti, including how to respond to the Secretary-General's recommendations, we are ready to have candid communication with all parties, explore viable solutions and seek the broadest possible consensus,' said Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the UN. Mission critical The Council's action was welcomed by Haiti's Ambassador, who underscored the political and security stakes ahead of a critical 2026 transition timeline. ' This extension should help Haitian authorities undertake a real, genuine political dialogue, to strengthen good governance, bolster security and bring about justice and promote human rights,' said Pierre Ericq Pierre, Permanent Representative to the UN. He also expressed his Government's expectation that the UN mission will support implementation of the national roadmap, including constitutional reforms and elections. Emphasizing national ownership, he added: 'BINUH must work as part of a holistic plan to support Haitian authorities in confronting the grave crisis shaking the country to its core.' The United States, which led negotiations on the resolution alongside Panama, stressed the urgency of political progress and called on international partners to increase support. 'Less than one year remains on the Transitional Presidential Council's planned roadmap for the restoration of democratic institutions,' said Ambassador Dorothy Shea, acting representative. ' Supporting the security of elections and the participation of all sectors of society is key to sustainable political progress in Haiti. Without BINUH, realizing the vision of a stronger, more resilient society would be less likely. ' New mission leadership Council members also welcomed Carlos G. Ruiz Massieu, appointed as the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of BINUH, succeeding María Isabel Salvador. Mr. Ruiz Massieu, who currently leads the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, brings decades of diplomatic and political experience, including in peace negotiations and institution-building. The UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) – a special political mission – was established in 2019 to advise and support Haitian authorities on political dialogue, justice, human rights and governance. It succeeded a series of UN peacekeeping and political missions on the island, dating back to 1993, including the large-scale MINUSTAH operation, which wrapped up in 2017 after 13 years.

Spreading Gang Violence Poses Major Risk To Haiti And Caribbean Sub-region, UN Human Rights Report Warns
Spreading Gang Violence Poses Major Risk To Haiti And Caribbean Sub-region, UN Human Rights Report Warns

Scoop

time12-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Scoop

Spreading Gang Violence Poses Major Risk To Haiti And Caribbean Sub-region, UN Human Rights Report Warns

GENEVA/PORT-AU-PRINCE (11 July 2025) – Escalating gang violence outside Port-au-Prince has claimed over 1,000 lives and forced hundreds of thousands to flee since October 2024, threatening to destabilise not only Haiti but also other countries in the Caribbean, a UN human rights report warned today. The report, by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN Human Rights Office, details the evolution of violent gang incidents since October 2024 up to June 2025. It also shows how violence increased sharply in recent months, especially in the Lower Artibonite and Centre departments, as gangs continue to extend their influence along key routes in the north and centre of the country, and towards the Dominican Republic. 'Human rights abuses outside Port-au-Prince are intensifying in areas of the country where the presence of the State is extremely limited. The international community must strengthen its support to the authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for protecting the Haitian population,' said Ulrika Richardson, ad interim Head of BINUH and UN Resident Coordinator. Between 1 October 2024 and 30 June 2025, at least 1,018 people were killed, 213 others injured and 620 abducted in Artibonite and Centre, as well as in Ganthier and Fonds Parisien, west of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, the report says. Over the same period, the total number of killings across Haiti was 4,864.* The report notes that the mass killing in Pont Sondé (Lower Artibonite) in October 2024, which left over 100 people dead, marked a major turning point in the cycle of violence between gangs and the so-called 'self-defence' groups. Several other mass killings followed, causing mass displacement, including in the town of Mirebalais (Centre department) which earlier this year saw all its 100,000 residents flee. The Haitian authorities have deployed specialised police units, supported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, to some extent slowing the gangs' advances. Ultimately, however, given their lack of resources, they have been unable to reassert control over the affected areas. Against this backdrop, human rights abuses by self-defence groups have increased. Summary executions involving Haitian security forces have also been committed against individuals accused of supporting gangs, the report says. 'Caught in the middle of this unending horror story are the Haitian people, who are at the mercy of horrific violence by gangs and exposed to human rights violations from the security forces and abuses by the so-called 'self-defence' groups,' said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. 'The human rights violations and abuses that we have documented are further evidence of why Haiti and the international community urgently need to step up to end the violence,' he added. The expansion of gang territorial control poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people, the report says. Among its recommendations, it calls on the Haitian authorities to ensure police have the necessary resources to tackle the gangs, in full respect of international human rights law. It calls for specialised judicial units to combat corruption and mass crimes, including sexual violence, to be established as soon as possible. The report also calls on the international community to maintain BINUH's full operational capacity so that the office can continue to advise and support the Haitian government in its efforts to strengthen good governance and ensure the respect for, and promotion of, human rights. The strengthening of MSS mission and the full implementation of the arms embargo will be equally essential to restore security and the rule of law in Haiti. *Between 1 January 2025 and 30 June at least 3,141 people were killed.

‘An Unending Horror Story': Gangs And Human Rights Abuses Expand In Haiti
‘An Unending Horror Story': Gangs And Human Rights Abuses Expand In Haiti

Scoop

time12-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Scoop

‘An Unending Horror Story': Gangs And Human Rights Abuses Expand In Haiti

Left vulnerable, communities then formed self-defence groups and Haitian security forces reinforced their operations and made small gains only to be rebuffed again by gangs. And at all stages of this cycle, human rights violations are being committed against civilians, according to a report released on Friday by the UN office in Haiti (BINUH) and the UN human rights office (OHCHR). 'Caught in the middle of this unending horror story are the Haitian people, who are at the mercy of horrific violence by gangs and exposed to human rights violations from the security forces and abuses by the so-called 'self-defence' groups,' said Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report also warned about 'early signs of criminal governance' in the Centre Department where gangs are beginning to consolidate their gains and act as a de facto governing authority. Four years of horror Since 2021 and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, gang violence has dominated the capital Port-au-Prince which is now 85 per cent controlled by gangs, says the UN. Over 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced because of this violence, representing the largest displacement due to political upheaval in Haitian history. Food insecurity among displaced Haitians is rampant, with Haiti one of five countries worldwide which is experiencing famine-like conditions. As of March 2025, the violence has also expanded into previously untouched areas of the country, specifically the Artibonite and Centre Departments where 92,000 and 147,000 people have been displaced respectively. The report also noted that recently, gangs have begun to expand beyond central Haiti towards the border of the Dominican Republic, with the apparent goal of controlling key roads through which much of the illegal weapons trafficking is happening. 'The expansion of gang territorial control poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people,' said Ravina Shamdasani, a UNHCR spokesperson at a briefing in Geneva. Human rights endangered Between October 2024 and June 2025, 4,864 people in Haiti have been killed by gang violence. At least hundreds more have been injured, kidnapped, raped and trafficked. 'Human rights abuses outside Port-au-Prince are intensifying in areas of the country where the presence of the State is extremely limited,' said Ulrika Richardson, interim Head of BINUH and UN Resident Coordinator. While many of these human rights violations – including the denial of the right to life and physical integrity, sexual violence and forced displacement — are being perpetrated by organised gangs, there are also documented human rights abuses at the hands of Haitian authorities. Specifically, between October 2024 and June 2025, there were 19 extrajudicial executions by security forces in the Artibonite and Centre Departments – 17 of them in Artibonite. Self-defence groups, which are increasingly prevalent as a result of inadequate State security, have also committed human rights violations, often in the form of lynchings of suspected gang members. 'The human rights violations and abuses that we have documented are further evidence of why Haiti and the international community urgently need to step up to end the violence,' Mr. Türk said. At this point, there have been no documented human rights abuses committed by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission authorised by the United Nations and funded and staffed largely by Kenya. No accountability The Haitian National Police and MSS have launched multiple operations to regain territory lost to the gangs. While some have been briefly successful, the operations have been unable to maintain a lasting presence or protect local communities, according to the report. In fact, the report suggests that in the Centre, the situation is trending in the opposite direction with gangs consolidating territorial gains outside the capital and beginning to institute forms of criminal governance. As a result of this persistent insecurity, judicial operations are virtually at a standstill in the Centre and Artibonite Departments. 'The international community must strengthen its support to the authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for protecting the Haitian population,' said Ms. Richardson.

UN appoints Mexican diplomat as new chief of shrinking Haiti office
UN appoints Mexican diplomat as new chief of shrinking Haiti office

Yahoo

time03-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

UN appoints Mexican diplomat as new chief of shrinking Haiti office

By Sarah Morland MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Mexican diplomat Carlos Ruiz as the organization's special representative to Haiti and head of the U.N.'s office in the embattled Caribbean nation, that office, known as BINUH, said on Thursday. Ruiz had worked as special representative for Colombia since 2019, BINUH said, adding that he has monitored the implementation of the country's peace agreement and worked on recent peace talks between the government and armed guerrilla groups. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti is referred to as BINUH, the French acronym for the mission's full name. Ruiz is set to succeed Ecuador's Maria Isabel Salvador as head of the shrinking U.N. office as Haiti faces a worsening conflict fueled by powerful, heavily armed gangs that have driven nearly 1.3 million people from their homes and are expanding to new areas despite efforts from national police. A voluntary U.N.-backed force has also partially deployed to Haiti to boost local police but has struggled to make headway, hampered by shortages of troops, funds and equipment. BINUH's work includes advising the government as well as tracking and monitoring human-rights abuses and security trends, including the evolution of gangs' territorial control, killings, kidnappings and civilian displacements. In a July 1 letter to the U.N. Security Council seen by Reuters, Guterres said he planned to re-evaluate the office's 2026 budget in view of a smaller headcount following repeated evacuations due to the "dire security situation" in Haiti. "Established in 2019, BINUH was not designed, nor does it have adequate evacuation and security assets, to operate in such a hostile environment," Guterres said in the letter. "Consequently, the Secretariat and BINUH have undertaken a review of the mission concept to achieve a more focused, smaller, yet impactful, mission." The U.N. since last November has had a maximum authorized capacity of 133 international staff in Port-au-Prince, the letter added, including 17 from BINUH - a limit based on its current extraction capacity of a single helicopter. Many U.N. staff operate from abroad. On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a meeting of the Security Council that the cost of additional resources needed to boost BINUH's security and evacuation capabilities in 2026 would be offset by a smaller local footprint.

UN appoints Mexican diplomat as new chief of shrinking Haiti office
UN appoints Mexican diplomat as new chief of shrinking Haiti office

Reuters

time03-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Reuters

UN appoints Mexican diplomat as new chief of shrinking Haiti office

MEXICO CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Mexican diplomat Carlos Ruiz as the organization's special representative to Haiti and head of the U.N.'s office in the embattled Caribbean nation, that office, known as BINUH, said on Thursday. Ruiz had worked as special representative for Colombia since 2019, BINUH said, adding that he has monitored the implementation of the country's peace agreement and worked on recent peace talks between the government and armed guerrilla groups. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti is referred to as BINUH, the French acronym for the mission's full name. Ruiz is set to succeed Ecuador's Maria Isabel Salvador as head of the shrinking U.N. office as Haiti faces a worsening conflict fueled by powerful, heavily armed gangs that have driven nearly 1.3 million people from their homes and are expanding to new areas despite efforts from national police. A voluntary U.N.-backed force has also partially deployed to Haiti to boost local police but has struggled to make headway, hampered by shortages of troops, funds and equipment. BINUH's work includes advising the government as well as tracking and monitoring human-rights abuses and security trends, including the evolution of gangs' territorial control, killings, kidnappings and civilian displacements. In a July 1 letter to the U.N. Security Council seen by Reuters, Guterres said he planned to re-evaluate the office's 2026 budget in view of a smaller headcount following repeated evacuations due to the "dire security situation" in Haiti. "Established in 2019, BINUH was not designed, nor does it have adequate evacuation and security assets, to operate in such a hostile environment," Guterres said in the letter. "Consequently, the Secretariat and BINUH have undertaken a review of the mission concept to achieve a more focused, smaller, yet impactful, mission." The U.N. since last November has had a maximum authorized capacity of 133 international staff in Port-au-Prince, the letter added, including 17 from BINUH - a limit based on its current extraction capacity of a single helicopter. Many U.N. staff operate from abroad. On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a meeting of the Security Council that the cost of additional resources needed to boost BINUH's security and evacuation capabilities in 2026 would be offset by a smaller local footprint.

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