The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed alarm on Wednesday over the recent surge in gang violence in the Artibonite Department in Haiti. According to local authorities, at least 11 people were killed and homes were set on fire in the commune of Gros-Morne on Monday. Residents fled to surrounding neighborhoods and the commune of Gonaïves to seek safety.
“This latest attack is a reminder that armed violence continues to spread beyond the capital Port-au-Prince, putting communities, essential services, and humanitarian operations at risk,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Wednesday.
The attack reportedly took place after an operation by the Gang Suppression Force (GSF)—a multinational security support force authorized by the United Nations in 2025—against the Kokorat San Ras armed gang in the area. Members of the gang subsequently attacked the population in retaliation.
“Once again, a Haitian community is mourning after a brutal attack by armed gangs. The killings in Gros-Morne reveal an unbearable reality: as violence continues to spread beyond Port-au-Prince, people are paying with their lives for a deepening crisis,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director, in response to the attack.
“The Haitian authorities must effectively investigate these killings and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice in fair trials. Armed gangs must immediately end killings, kidnappings, and other abuses against the population.”
UN Security Council renews mandate of Gang Suppression Force
On Tuesday, the UN Security Council renewed the GSF's mandate for six months, until March 31, 2027, and extended the mandate of the UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH). Council members called for the GSF's rapid deployment to reclaim territory from armed gangs, restore state authority, and create conditions for elections.
The Council stressed in its resolution that the GSF must operate in compliance with applicable international law, including international human rights law. The resolution also highlighted the need for reintegration, psychosocial support, and education for children formerly associated with gangs.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption of Resolution 2829 (2026) and called on member states to build on this momentum by working tirelessly to ensure the timely deployment of the remaining personnel, enabling the GSF to fully undertake its important mandate.
“Renewing the GSF mandate does not in itself protect the Haitian population,” warned Amnesty International's Piqué.
“Commitments made by the international community must urgently be translated into an effective and sustainable response that places the protection of people’s human rights at its core, with particular attention to children.”
Haiti’s severe humanitarian crisis
Haiti is experiencing surging gang activity, the collapse of essential public services, and frequent natural disasters, such as droughts and floods. Due to the ongoing violence, the country is on the brink of collapse. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), more than 3,000 people were killed in Haiti between January and June of this year.
In 2026, over half of the population—6.4 million people—are in need of humanitarian assistance. Widespread violence, poverty, rising living costs, low agricultural production, and expensive food imports have exacerbated existing food insecurity, leaving many women, men, and children suffering from malnutrition and hunger.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis indicates that over 5.8 million Haitians are facing crisis levels (IPC Phase 3) of hunger or worse. Of those individuals, over 1.8 million are experiencing emergency levels (IPC Phase 4).
Meanwhile, the nutritional situation for hundreds of thousands of children continues to deteriorate across the country. More than 250,000 children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming months, including nearly 94,000 with severe acute malnutrition.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide food, healthcare, water and sanitation services, mental health and psychological support, emergency cash assistance, and other life-saving services.
However, insecurity and funding shortfalls continue to hamper the work of humanitarian organizations. The $880 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which aims to support 4.2 million people, is currently less than half funded. Only $416 million has been received, with just three months left in the year.
Nearly 1.5 million people have been displaced across Haiti. The displacement crisis in the country is spreading beyond the capital city of Port-au-Prince, with some of the sharpest increases occurring in regions that were once considered relatively safe.
As uprooted people face growing risks, UN steps up hurricane preparedness
On Tuesday, OCHA warned that, amid the large-scale displacement in Haiti, many communities remain at risk during the Atlantic hurricane season, which continues through the end of November.
Nearly 80 percent of displaced people are now living outside the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Many are staying in overcrowded collective shelters, with host families, or in informal sites, leaving them exposed to flooding, landslides, and severe weather.
According to OCHA, this hurricane season is expected to be less active than average; however, only one major storm or period of intense rainfall could have devastating consequences. At the same time, strengthening El Niño conditions are expected to bring drier, warmer weather to Haiti in the coming months, which threatens water supplies, crops, and food security.
Aid agencies are collaborating with national and local authorities on early warning systems, contingency planning, and prepositioning essential supplies. Flexible funding is needed to enable them to act before disasters strike and protect the most vulnerable people from climate shocks and the consequences of violence and displacement.
During Hurricane Melissa last year, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms to hit the region in a century, the UN acted swiftly. Thanks to anticipatory action and funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), aid agencies were able to pre-position emergency supplies, open evacuation shelters, and alert people of the impending storm.