Haiti is wracked by violence that has escalated to unprecedented levels. In the first eight months of this year, 3,000 homicides were reported; there were also over 1,500 victims of kidnapping for ransom.
The UN says that some 200,000 people (half of whom are children) have been forced to flee their homes because it’s just too dangerous to remain. Sexual violence and abuse against women and girls is on the rise, and tens of thousands of children are unable to attend school due to insecurity. The Haitian National Police (HNP) and military are unable to fully contain the outbreak of violence.
The establishment of a multinational security support mission for Haiti is being discussed this week by the UN Security Council as the Caribbean nation continues to face a crisis of violence and insecurity caused by entrenched criminal gang activity.
