Over 20,000 Flee as Rising Gang Violence Spurs Mass Displacement in Haiti

Over 20,000 Flee as Rising Gang Violence Spurs Mass Displacement in Haiti

IOM staff interact with residents, ensuring they have access to necessary information and assistance. Photo Credit IOM 2024 / Antoine Lemonnier

Geneva / Port-au-Prince, 15 November - More than 20,000 people have been displaced across Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince in just four days, including over 17,000 hosted in 15 displacement sites even as gang violence escalates. The crisis has disrupted critical supply chains and isolated the city.

Many of these individuals have faced multiple displacements, repeatedly forced to flee violence leaving behind what little they managed to rebuild. Such a scale of displacement has not been observed since August 2023.

The closure of air traffic following the targeted shootings at three commercial aircraft over Port-au-Prince, restricted access to the country's main seaport, and unsafe roads controlled by armed groups have left the metropolitan area in a state of near-total paralysis, compounding the suffering of already vulnerable populations.

Criminal groups in the capital continue their expansion, taking control of additional neighborhoods and further isolating communities. Previously rival factions, which once clashed over territorial disputes, have joined forces and formed alliances to combat the National Police efforts, which, grappling with a lack of resources, remain overstretched and face significant challenges in containing the escalating violence.

Gang-related violence has caused nearly 4,000 deaths in 2024, according to the UN Human Rights Office; gender-based violence, including sexual violence used as a weapon of terror, has reached alarming levels. Women and children are disproportionately affected, with 94 per cent of displaced women and girls at heightened risk of violence.

"The isolation of Port-au-Prince is amplifying an already dire humanitarian situation," said Grégoire Goodstein IOM's Chief in Haiti. "Our ability to deliver aid is stretched to its limits. Without immediate international support, the suffering will worsen exponentially. With only 20 percent of Port-au-Prince accessible, humanitarian workers face immense challenges in reaching affected populations."

Despite these challenges, IOM and its partners remain steadfast in their commitment to delivering life-saving assistance. The Organization is actively assisting internally displaced persons through the provision of rental subsidies and deployment of mobile clinics to offer basic medical care, medications, and providing protection services such as psychosocial support, family reunification efforts, and assistance for survivors of gender-based violence. IOM continues coordinating site management, and water trucking for IDPs. Operations in the rest of the country remain, including support for deported migrants at border crossings, rehabilitation of migrant protection centers, and various community stabilization projects.

IOM emphasizes the critical importance of upholding humanitarian principles amid the escalating crisis. Ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and civilians is paramount. The Organization calls on all to respect the neutrality and impartiality of aid operations, allowing unimpeded access to those in need and safeguarding the integrity of humanitarian assistance.

IOM further calls to urgently increase funding and support for humanitarian operations in Haiti. As of November, the UN's $674 million response plan remains only 42 per cent funded, leaving millions of Haitians without the assistance they desperately need.

For more information, please contact:
In Haiti: Antoine Lemonnier, [email protected]
In Panama: Jorge Gallo, [email protected]
In Geneva: Daniela Rovina, [email protected]