The UN office in Haiti announced that at least 5,915 people died and another 2,708 were injured in Haiti in 2025 due to gang violence and operations by security forces to combat them. The UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINU) also detailed that at least 1,523 people died and another 806 were injured between October and December of last year. More than 62% of those killed or injured in the last quarter 'were affected during security operations, in some cases with the support of a private military company using drones,' according to BINU. Gangs caused 32% of the casualties, while self-defense groups accounted for 6%. Men make up 85% of the victims, compared to women (12%) and children (3%). According to BINU, in the fourth quarter of 2025, 'gangs failed to expand their territorial control in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area (Haiti's capital), particularly due to operations by law enforcement.' However, despite this, in areas of the capital under their control, the gangs 'continued to commit serious human rights abuses, such as extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, extortion and destruction of property, as well as the trafficking of children for exploitation and involvement in criminal activities.' Additionally, in rural areas outside Port-au-Prince, gangs carried out 'indiscriminate' attacks on several localities to consolidate and expand their territorial control. Sexual violence and kidnappings Gang members 'continued their tactic of using sexual violence, particularly gang rape, as a weapon against the population, either during house raids or while victims were moving through the streets,' BINU detailed in the press release accompanying the report. Thus, in 2025, 1,753 cases of sexual violence perpetrated by gangs were documented. In the last quarter alone, the UN Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Arrangement (MARA) documented over 301 victims of sexual violence, mostly women and girls, some of whom were as young as ten. Of these, at least five victims were killed after being raped. Additionally, from October to December, at least 156 people were kidnapped by gangs for ransom, with a total of at least 647 kidnappings documented in 2025. BINU also denounced the trafficking of children by gangs for exploitation and involvement in criminal activities. 'These children are forced to participate in violent activities, such as kidnappings and murders, which, in addition to involving them directly in criminal acts, exposes them from a very young age to repeated violence that can cause them serious long-term trauma,' the UN office stated in its report. Among other recommendations directed at the Haitian government, BINU demanded 'to accelerate the establishment of a program for the prevention, separation and rehabilitation of minors involved in gangs.' The UN office also called on 'to keep Haiti on the international agenda and provide adequate financial and human support to ensure the full deployment of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF),' as well as to continue updating the list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions for undermining human rights.
