Drone strikes in Haiti that killed 1250, including 17 children, condemned by rights group

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday that drone strikes carried out in Haiti over the past year have killed at least 1,243 people, including 17 children, many of whom had no apparent links to the criminal groups the attacks seek to squash.

Launched by Haitian law enforcement forces and private contractors working for Vectus Global between March 1, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026, the strikes also injured at least 738 people, according to the organization’s report. At least 49 of the injured appeared to have no ties to gangs or other criminal groups.

Vectus is a military contractor firm founded by American businessman and former Navy SEAL Erik Prince. HRW said the forces used explosive-equipped quadcopter drones in densely populated urban areas of Port-au-Prince, raising concerns that some strikes may constitute extrajudicial killings.

Given the potential for gangs to use vulnerable residents as human shields and Prince’s history of civilian abuses in Iraq, many warned Haitian authorities of potential repeats in Haiti when reports of the contract surfaced.

Neither Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the Haitian National Police nor Vectus Global responded to requests for comment about the details in the HRW report.

“Haitian authorities must urgently take control of the security forces and the private companies working on their behalf before more children die,” said Juanita Goebertus, director of the Americas Program at Human Rights Watch.

At least 141 operations took place, HRW’s report states. The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) has said 57 attacks occurred in the capital city between November and January alone, nearly double the 29 strikes recorded between August and October 2025.

One strike that drew attention from the United Nations occurred Sept. 20, 2025, in Simon Pelé, a neighborhood that is part of the Cité Soleil. Of the ten people killed, nine were children ages 3 to 12 who had no apparent connection to criminal groups.

HRW said its data shows an average of about nine deaths per strike, with the deadliest operation killing 57 people. The strikes occurred across nine municipalities in the West Department: Cabaret, Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets, Delmas, Kenscoff, Léogâne, Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince and Tabarre.

Drones raise fears for residents, criticism of waste

Residents told HRW that the drones have fueled more fear rather than a sense of safety.

“I live in constant fear and anxiety,” a merchant in the Martissant neighborhood told the organization. “I pray that the drones no longer fly over our neighborhood.”

Human Rights Watch said international standards allow the deliberate use of lethal force only when strictly necessary to protect life.

“The deliberate and lethal use of firearms and other weapons is only permitted when absolutely necessary to protect a person’s life,” the organization said. “Any use of force must be both necessary and proportionate.”

The group criticized the use of explosive-equipped quadcopter drones capable of navigating between buildings and tracking moving targets in crowded urban neighborhoods. Under such conditions, the organization said, the strikes resemble targeted killings rather than conventional law enforcement operations.

HRW also said no major gang leaders have been captured or killed in connection with the drone campaign. None of the leaders of Haiti’s most powerful gangs have been identified among those killed in the strikes.

For many Haitians living in gang-controlled areas, daily life has changed little despite the costly security operations.

“Fifty-two million U.S. dollars to fire drones into populous neighborhoods,” Fondasyon Je Klere said in its report. “The use of drones in these areas causes more collateral damage among the civilian population than it truly neutralizes gangs.”

The report comes as questions mount in Haiti over a $52 million security contract between the Haitian government and a company linked to Prince. While criticism of the operations rises, the strikes appear to be continuing, with local reports emerging of several drones detonating in downtown Port-au-Prince earlier this week.

So far, Haitian authorities have not released a public report detailing how the drones are deployed, who authorizes the strikes or what oversight mechanisms govern the operations.

Human Rights Watch noted that Haiti is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects the right to life and requires authorities to minimize harm to civilians. The organization urged the government to launch transparent investigations into alleged unlawful killings and clarify the chain of command behind the drone strikes.

“Authorities must conduct transparent investigations into all allegations of unlawful killings, hold those responsible accountable and compensate affected families,” Human Rights Watch said. 

“They must also publicly clarify the command structure for drone strikes and the role of private military companies in these operations.”

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