Haiti on the brink as gang violence escalates and state power erodes

UN warns of total collapse in Haiti as armed gangs tighten grip and international response lags.

A burnt-out car is seen amid a protest over insecurity in Port-au-Prince on April 16, 2025. Photo by Clarens Siffroy/AFP

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Haiti gang violence has intensified at a terrifying pace, with the United Nations warning that the Caribbean nation is nearing a "point of no return." As rival gangs expand their control, a deepening security vacuum threatens to plunge the country into total chaos. UN special representative Maria Isabel Salvador told the Security Council on Monday that urgent international assistance is needed to stop Haiti from collapsing entirely.

Salvador described the deteriorating situation as an existential threat for millions of Haitians already living in conditions of extreme poverty, political instability, and violence. “As gang violence continues to spread to new areas of the country, Haitians experience growing levels of vulnerability and increasing skepticism about the ability of the state to respond to their needs,” she said.

She issued a blunt warning: “Haiti could face total chaos.” The country, she argued, requires immediate international aid to avoid complete state failure. “I urge you to remain engaged and answer the urgent needs of the country and its people.”

Capital under siege as gangs fight for control

In Port-au-Prince, the heart of the Haitian government and economy, the crisis is most acute. Swaths of the capital are under the grip of powerful armed groups who operate with impunity, engaging in mass killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence. According to UN officials, these gangs have been aggressively fighting for territory, and the intensity of clashes has grown in recent months.

The Haitian National Police remains overwhelmed and undermanned. Many officers have fled or abandoned posts due to threats and lack of support. Although a Kenyan-led multinational security mission, authorized by the United Nations, was expected to provide backup, the force has fallen short of its promised strength. While the plan was to deploy 2,500 personnel, only 1,000 police officers from six countries have been deployed so far.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized in a recent report that more international support is “required immediately to allow the national police to prevent the capital from slipping closer to the brink.” Without reinforcement, Port-au-Prince risks falling completely under gang control.

Political vacuum feeds lawlessness

Haiti’s chronic political dysfunction continues to feed the chaos. The country has no elected president and its parliament is defunct. Efforts to establish a transitional government have repeatedly failed amid infighting and distrust among political factions. This vacuum has left space for armed groups to grow their influence, becoming the de facto authorities in many regions.

Haiti’s ambassador to the UN, Ericq Pierre, delivered a grim assessment of the situation: “The Republic of Haiti is slowly dying under the combined action of armed gangs, drug traffickers and arms dealers.” He pleaded with international partners to intervene and help dismantle the violent networks destabilizing the nation. “We need your support to rid the country of the gangs that are terrorizing the population,” Pierre said.

Humanitarian crisis deepens as killings and assaults surge

The escalation of Haiti gang violence has coincided with a dramatic rise in civilian casualties and human rights abuses. According to UN figures, 2,660 homicides were recorded from December 2024 to February 2025 — a staggering 41.3 percent increase compared to the previous quarter.

Additionally, UN data shows that 702 people were killed during anti-gang operations in that same three-month period, and approximately 21 percent of those fatalities were believed to be innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. The scale and scope of violence have left many neighborhoods in ruins and thousands displaced.

Gender-based violence is also worsening. In the five months leading up to February 2025, the UN documented 347 incidents, with collective rape being the most common violation. It accounted for 61 percent of the cases. Aid groups warn that many more cases likely go unreported due to fear of retaliation or lack of access to safe reporting channels.

Cholera returns as basic services collapse

Alongside the violence, Haiti faces a resurgence of cholera — a waterborne disease that has plagued the nation in past crises. The breakdown in sanitation and access to clean water has made the population especially vulnerable to outbreaks.

Health services are stretched to the limit. Hospitals in and around Port-au-Prince are under threat from armed groups and are chronically under-resourced. Many medical workers have fled the country, leaving patients without care. Vaccination campaigns and other preventative measures have stalled due to insecurity.

Maria Isabel Salvador emphasized that the collapse of public health infrastructure, combined with widespread sexual violence and displacement, creates a situation of profound humanitarian suffering. “We must act now,” she warned.

International response falling short

Despite growing calls for action, the global response to Haiti's crisis has been slow and insufficient. Funding gaps, logistical hurdles, and concerns over troop safety have all contributed to delays in reinforcing the multinational mission. Meanwhile, armed groups grow bolder by the day.

The Kenyan-led security initiative, while symbolically important, lacks the capacity to conduct meaningful operations without broader support. Many observers now question whether the limited foreign presence can make a meaningful impact on the ground. Analysts suggest that without additional personnel, equipment, and political backing, the mission risks becoming a symbolic gesture rather than a functional force.

UN officials and Haitian leaders alike have urged donor nations to honor their pledges and provide resources urgently. Without reinforcements, the mission may not withstand the rising tide of violence.

A nation on the edge

Haiti’s collapse would reverberate far beyond its borders. The Caribbean region could see waves of displacement and instability. Thousands of Haitians are already fleeing their homes, either moving internally or attempting perilous journeys by sea to other countries. Neighboring states, including the Dominican Republic, have stepped up border enforcement, fearing a surge of refugees.

As the crisis deepens, many Haitians are left with no clear source of safety or hope. Armed gangs continue to entrench their control, and the few functioning state institutions are barely holding on.

Without urgent international intervention and a coordinated strategy to restore governance, dismantle criminal networks, and address the humanitarian emergency, Haiti faces the grim possibility of becoming a failed state in the heart of the Americas.

The warning signs are unmistakable. The UN has issued its alert. Now the question is whether the world will respond before it’s too late.