A violent armed attack in Haiti's Artibonite department, the country's primary agricultural region, has left at least 70 people dead and 30 injured, according to a human rights group—a figure significantly higher than official estimates. Local police initially reported 16 fatalities and 10 injuries, while preliminary data from civil protection authorities indicated 17 deaths and 19 wounded.
The Collective Defending Human Rights group, which reported the elevated death toll, described the incident as a "massacre" that forced nearly 6,000 residents to flee their homes. In a statement, the group criticized the authorities, asserting: "The lack of a security response and the abandonment of Artibonite to armed groups demonstrate a complete abdication of responsibility by the authorities." A spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General condemned the gang attack on Monday, emphasizing that the violence underscores the gravity of Haiti's security crisis and called for a thorough investigation.
According to local civil protection officials, armed members of the Gran Grif gang assaulted the Jean-Denis area around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday. This assault followed recent UN reports that over 2,000 people were displaced by armed raids in nearby Verrettes, prompting residents in Petite-Riviere to abandon their homes. The Artibonite department, a vital agricultural zone, has experienced some of Haiti's worst violence as gang conflicts extend beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince.
In March, the US regime offered a reward of up to $3 million for information on the financial activities of the Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm groups, with Washington designating both—coalitions comprising hundreds of gangs—as terrorist organizations. Haitian security forces, supported by a UN-backed international mission and a US private military company, have intensified operations against gangs that control most of the capital. However, authorities have yet to arrest a major gang leader.
The ongoing conflict with gangs has displaced more than a million people, exacerbating food insecurity, and nearly 20,000 deaths have been reported in Haiti since 2021, with the annual death toll steadily increasing. The situation highlights the persistent challenges and failures in stabilizing the nation amid escalating violence and humanitarian distress.
Source: www.theguardian.com