Haiti’s human rights crisis deepens as elites, gangs and foreign missteps fuel systemic collapse, report says 

NEW YORK —Haiti’s human rights crisis is spiraling out of control, driven by entrenched elite corruption, a fractured transitional government and chaotic international policies. A blistering new report from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti says the collapse goes far beyond gang violence.

The 87-page report, “Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Haiti: Key Developments,” released July 17, accuses members of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council of colluding with armed groups to consolidate power while foreign missions fail to deliver security or aid. The council, tasked with steering Haiti toward peace and democracy, is described as “debilitating” due to ineffectiveness, corruption and infighting, with calls for its removal growing louder.

“While the world watches gang violence escalate, leading to horrifying statistics, this report suggests the rot runs deeper than street-level criminality,” the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) wrote in its July 17 report..

The IJDH report paints a stark picture of a nation where the very institutions meant to protect citizens are compromised, allowing armed groups to thrive and ordinary Haitians to suffer.

This revelation sheds critical light on the persistent human rights violations plaguing the nation, pointing to systemic failures that go beyond the daily headlines.

According to the IJDH, the human toll of Haiti’s collapse is staggering. Nearly 1.3 million people have been displaced from gang-controlled areas, crammed into makeshift camps that lack food, clean water, and medical care. Hunger grips over 5.7 million Haitians, with some regions facing famine-like conditions unprecedented in the Western Hemisphere. Even more alarming, the report documents a 490% surge in grave violations against children in 2024 alone, underscoring how Haiti’s youngest are bearing the brunt of this crisis

Haiti’s justice system is nearing total collapse. Courts remain shuttered in gang-controlled zones, and police officers—accused of extrajudicial killings—have reportedly abandoned their posts during attacks. Civilian vigilante groups, sometimes operating alongside law enforcement, are implicated in arbitrary killings and widespread abuses, including against displaced populations and children.

Sexual violence, including gang rape, is increasingly used as a “weapon of war,” targeting women and girls trapped in insecure neighborhoods or overcrowded displacement camps.

The IJDH report also criticizes the international community’s role, describing “mutually inconsistent policies” that undermine Haiti’s stability. The Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, intended to restore security, is underfunded, understaffed, and ill-equipped—raising doubts about its ability to protect civilians.

Meanwhile, U.S. efforts to stem the flow of weapons into Haiti remain ineffective. Gangs continue to access high-caliber firearms and ammunition, fueling the violence. Even Washington’s recent designation of Haitian gangs as terrorist organizations has sparked concern among advocates, who fear it could justify mass deportations and restrict humanitarian aid.

IJDH recommendations: a roadmap for change
The report concludes with a stark warning: Haiti’s collapse cannot be reversed without deep reforms in governance and foreign policy.The IJDH recommends:

• Dismantling elite-gang networks: Prosecute officials with ties to armed groups and strengthen anti-corruption measures to restore public trust.
• A rights-respecting security strategy: Equip and reform Haiti’s security forces while enforcing the UN arms embargo and ensuring human rights accountability.
• Empowering women in governance: Guarantee meaningful representation and expand services for survivors of gender-based violence.
• Sustained humanitarian aid: Restore funding for health, food security, and education, channeling resources directly to Haitian civil society groups.

The report serves as both a searing indictment and a call to action, urging Haitian leaders and international partners to rethink their approach before the country reaches what the IJDH in Haiti calls a “point of no return.”

“Haiti’s plight is akin to a house with a crumbling foundation,” the report warns. “No amount of patchwork will hold unless the deep, structural flaws of governance and foreign engagement are addressed.”

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