What is the Haiti crisis about?
(Updated 9 April 2026) Haiti is experiencing an unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis driven by extreme gang violence, political paralysis, and deep poverty.
Heavily armed criminal gangs have encircled much of the capital, Port‑au‑Prince, controlling key roads and neighbourhoods and cutting access to water, food, health care, schools, and humanitarian assistance. Gangs routinely use murder, kidnapping for ransom, and systematic sexual violence to terrorize communities and assert control.
Haiti’s security institutions are severely overstretched. The Haitian Armed Forces remain small and lightly equipped, while the Haitian National Police (HNP) lacks the personnel, equipment, and resources needed to confront dozens of well‑armed gangs. Without external support, the authorities have been unable to restore basic security, leaving civilians exposed to daily violence and displacement.
According to UN estimates, armed gangs control around 85–90 per cent of Port‑au‑Prince, operating in loose coalitions. Hundreds of gangs are active nationwide, with thousands of fighters, an alarming number of whom are children and adolescents.
Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince Photo: UNOCHA/Giles Clarke
Background on the situation
Haiti became the world’s first Black republic in 1804 following a successful rebellion against French colonial rule and slavery. Despite this historic achievement, its development has been shaped by heavy external pressure, political interference, and internal instability. From 1915 to 1934 the country was occupied by the United States.
Long periods of authoritarian rule followed, most notably the Duvalier dictatorship (1957–1986), characterized by repression and corruption. Since then, Haiti has experienced contested and irregular elections, coups, weak institutions, and repeated foreign interventions, including U.S.-led military deployments in 1994 and 2004.
The current crisis deepened after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, which left a leadership vacuum. In 2024, amid escalating violence, Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned. A Transitional Presidential Council was formed, with a mandate to restore minimum security and prepare credible elections by 2026.
However, the absence of elected institutions for nearly a decade has severely weakened governance and enabled gangs to thrive.
Impact on Haitian people and the environment
Violence in Haiti has reached historic levels.
- More than 5,600 people were killed in 2024 alone, with thousands more injured or kidnapped.
- Over 1.3 million people have been displaced, making this the largest internal displacement crisis in Haiti’s history.
- Children account for roughly half of the displaced population, and many are recruited or coerced into gangs.
- Tens of thousands of children cannot attend school due to insecurity or gang occupation of school buildings.
Humanitarian conditions are dire. Around half of the population lives in extreme poverty, and more than five million people face acute food insecurity. Access to clean water and basic sanitation remains extremely limited.
Natural disasters have compounded the crisis. Haiti has been repeatedly hit by hurricanes and floods, while the 2010 earthquake, which killed more than 300,000 people and left over one million homeless, caused long‑term damage the country has never fully recovered from.
UN Response to the Crisis in Haiti
To address the collapse in security, the UN Security Council authorized a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in 2023, led by Kenya. The mission began deploying in mid‑2024 to support the Haitian National Police. Due to limited scale and resources, the MSS had only a modest impact.
In 2025, the Security Council authorized a more robust Gang Suppression Force (GSF) to replace the MSS. This non‑UN force, supported logistically by the UN, is expected to reach around 5,500 personnel and has begun phased deployment in 2026. MINUSTAH, the UN peacekeeping mission to Haiti ended in 2017.
At the same time, the UN stresses that security alone will not resolve the crisis. The UN Special Representative for Haiti has repeatedly emphasized that sustainable stability depends on a Haitian‑led political process, inclusive governance, and credible elections.
The UN humanitarian response plan currently seeks more than US$700 million to assist over three million people, but funding levels remain critically low.
The role of the UN Agencies in the crisis
UN agencies continue to respond despite severe access and funding constraints:
- UNICEF estimates that around 3.3 million children require humanitarian assistance due to violence, malnutrition, cholera, and the collapse of basic services.
- The World Food Programme (WFP) supports school feeding programmes, providing daily meals to over 400,000 children, often their only reliable source of food.
- WHO is strengthening surveillance and emergency response for cholera and other disease outbreaks amid a fragile health system.
- UN Women, working with partners, supports survivors of gender‑based violence and strengthens protection services for women and girls.
SDGs: Sustainable action points for
Among the Sustainable Development Goals at stake in Haiti are #3: Good Health and Well-Being: # 5: Gender Equality, #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, #10: Reduced Inequalities, and # 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
Make a difference and get involved:
Your voice matters! Share this article on your social media and talk about this crisis in your network.
You can also choose to help through the UN agencies involved.
- Make your donations today with these links.
- Support gender equality: UN WOMEN
- Give a meal to Haitian people in need: WFP
- Give children in Haiti the future they deserve: UNICEF
- Help WHO to fight epidemic outbreaks: WHO