The number of people displaced from their homes in Haiti has tripled in the past year, reaching a staggering one million, Al Jazeera reports, citing a new report from the United Nations.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) revealed that over 1,041,000 Haitians are now struggling amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis, with many having been displaced multiple times.
The situation is particularly dire in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where displacement has surged by 87%. This dramatic increase is attributed to the relentless gang violence that has gripped the city, combined with the collapse of vital services, including healthcare, and escalating food shortages. Children, who comprise more than half of the displaced population, are particularly vulnerable.
“In December 2023, we had recorded around 315,000 people displaced,” explained IOM spokesman Kennedy Okoth Omondi. “One year since then, we have seen that number triple to over a million people who have now been displaced because of gang violence in Haiti.”
The surge in displacement reflects a broader crisis of violence. Last week, the UN reported that gang violence was responsible for the deaths of more than 5,600 people in Haiti in 2024 alone, with thousands more injured or kidnapped. Armed gangs maintain control over much of Port-au-Prince, creating a climate of fear and instability. While authorities have been trying to regain control, allegations of violence perpetrated by police against suspected gang members add to the complexity of the conflict and undermine efforts to restore order.
The IOM report highlighted that 83% of displaced Haitians are relying on already strained host communities – acquaintances, friends, and family – for shelter. The remainder are living in increasingly overcrowded and inadequate makeshift sites, which have risen from 73 to 108 in just one year. The situation is compounded by the deportation of 200,000 Haitians back to the country last year, further overburdening its already overwhelmed social services.
Despite the deployment of a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the US and the UN, violence continues to escalate. IOM Director General Amy Pope emphasized the urgent need for “sustained humanitarian assistance right now to save and protect lives” in Haiti.
The Haitian government, along with the US and other Caribbean nations, is advocating for a full-scale UN peacekeeping operation. However, Russia and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), have opposed such a move. Instead, they argue that efforts to stabilize the situation should focus on strengthening the Haitian police force.
