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	More than 1.3 million people have been displaced in Haiti by gang violence by UN News, MSF, UNICEF, ActionAid, agencies   July 2025 (UN News)   More than 1.3 million people have been displaced in Haiti as surging gang violence, lawlessness, and impunity expose the population – especially women and girls – to heightened risks of exploitation and sexual violence.   Since January, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), recorded over 4,000 individuals deliberately killed – a 24 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.   “The capital city was for all intents and purposes paralysed by gangs and isolated due to the ongoing suspension of international commercial flights into the international airport,” Miroslav Jenca, Assistant Secretary-General for the Americas at the department of political affairs (DPPA), told ambassadors in the UN Security Council.   Having visited the country recently, he warned that, gangs have only “strengthened their foothold”, which now affects all communes of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and beyond, “pushing the situation closer to the brink.”   He called on the international community to act decisively and urgently or the “total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario”.   Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), echoed that warning.   “As gang control expands, the state’s capacity to govern is rapidly shrinking, with social, economic and security implications,” she told ambassadors. “This erosion of state legitimacy has cascading effects,” she said, with legal commerce becoming paralysed as gangs control major trade routes, such conditions worsening “already dire levels of food insecurity and humanitarian need,” she added.   The ongoing deterioration of security in the country continues to fuel human rights violations. Despite persistent under-reporting of sexual violence due to fear of reprisals, social stigma and lack of trust in institutions, UN agencies reported an increase in sexual violence committed by gangs in the past three months.   In May, Haitian police raided a medical facility in Petion-Ville suspected of being involved in illicit organ trade, as allegations of trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal are rising.   1.3 million people have been forced to flee gang violence in Haiti and seek refuge elsewhere within the Caribbean country, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. This represents a 24 per cent increase from December 2024 according to the UN agency – the largest number of people displaced by violence on record there.   “Behind these numbers are so many individual people whose suffering is immeasurable; children, mothers, the elderly, many of them forced to flee their homes multiple times, often with nothing, and now living in conditions that are neither safe nor sustainable,” said Amy Pope, IOM Director General.   Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, stressed that the situation is a “multifaceted crisis" which must be addressed with multifaceted and dynamic solutions.   “We believe that the international community’s response must match the scale, urgency, and complexity of the challenge. That’s why strong international security support must be accompanied by peacebuilding measures, humanitarian action and political support that could ultimately allow Haiti to make progress on the path to sustainable development.”   She said one way to reduce violence in Haiti is by empowering communities themselves especially women to lead bold new initiatives.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-remarks-security-council-open-debate http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165554 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165246 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164286 http://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/states-should-not-return-anyone-haiti-un-expert-bill-oneill http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165373 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/07/spreading-gang-violence-poses-major-risk-haiti-and-caribbean-sub-region http://binuh.unmissions.org/en/un-special-representative-patten-urges-immediate-action-sexual-violence-surges-amid-gang-violence http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/08/haiti-faces-a-critical-turning-point-amid-escalated-violence-and-funding-cuts/ http://news.un.org/en/tags/haiti http://reliefweb.int/country/hti   Mar. 2025   In Haiti, escalating violence increases displacement and basic needs. (MSF)   Since 24 February, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) teams in Haiti have witnessed a surge in violence, increasing the number of wounded people and medical needs. Clashes between armed groups and police are intensifying, leaving people trapped under constant threat of crossfire. Today, 85 per cent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is under the control of armed groups, and movement through many neighbourhoods puts lives at risk.   From 24 February to 2 March, MSF medical teams at the Turgeau emergency centre treated 314 patients – double the usual number.   Since 14 February, attacks by armed groups in several neighbourhoods of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area have forced over 24,000 people to flee,2 and this number continues to rise amid the ongoing violence. As of today, the International Organisation for Migration estimates that more than 180,000 internally displaced people are living in over 140 sites.   These vulnerable people, some of whom have been displaced multiple times, are seeking refuge in makeshift camps where access to clean water is either extremely limited or completely non-existent.   For over a month, the suspension of US funding has deprived many humanitarian organisations of their resources, forcing groups like Solidarites International to suspend the distribution of drinking water in displacement camps. According to the NGO, in these camps, displaced people are trying to survive on just one litre of water per day. This is far below the international emergency standard, which recommends 15 litres per person per day.   “We have identified more than 100 displacement camps in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, but the scale of this crisis far exceeds what MSF can respond to alone, especially with the rainy season approaching,” warns Christophe Garnier, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti.   With the imminent arrival of the first rains, sanitation systems are flooding, hygiene conditions are deteriorating, and the risk of deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera, is rising. UNICEF estimates that more than 180,000 displaced people are sheltering in over 100 sites, while 140 additional sites remain unassessed.   “The humanitarian response plan in Haiti is severely underfunded, even as the conflict escalates and thousands of people are repeatedly forced to flee, seeking refuge in makeshift camps with limited access to basic services such as water and sanitation,” says Garnier.   “Without urgent action, the situation will turn into a humanitarian catastrophe, as relentless violence continues to deepen the suffering of an already exhausted community.”   http://www.msf.org/haiti-escalating-violence-increases-displacement http://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/hope-haiti-children-amid-chaos-statement-deputy-executive-director-chaiban http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/04/restoring-dignity-global-call-end-violence-haiti http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/country-reports/ahrc5876-situation-human-rights-haiti-report-united-nations-high http://www.icrc.org/en/article/haiti-renewed-clashes-fuel-humanitarian-crisis-has-no-end-sight   Feb. 2025   Almost 9 in 10 going all day without eating as hunger in Haiti reaches record high – ActionAid   Haiti’s hunger crisis has reached alarming levels, with almost all families (99%) surveyed by ActionAid regularly skipping meals and 95% reporting that they’ve gone to bed hungry in the past month. The aid organisation warned that US funding freezes are likely to make the situation even worse.   ActionAid surveyed almost 200 families (1,499 people) in two Haiti townships, Jérémie and Roseaux, and found that 67% were displaced, having fled their homes to escape Haiti’s escalating gang violence.   Of those surveyed, 88% said a family member had gone an entire day without eating in the past month, and almost one in 10 had gone 24 hours without eating at least 10 times.   Feduine, 28, lives in Jeremie. She told ActionAid she is struggling to feed her three children.   “It has become so difficult to eat ... we don’t know how to cope. It is really worrying when we can only eat every other day,” she said. “I have children, and some days I have nothing to give them. It is very hard to live with. I don’t worry about myself, but I worry about my children. When I left this morning, I had nothing to give the baby.”   Armed gangs continue to disrupt food supplies by closing roads and demanding bribes from truck drivers, pushing up prices and leaving many families unable to afford basic goods.   More than 85% of those surveyed by ActionAid have fallen into debt, and 17% reported having no income at all.   Emelyne, 49, had to leave her home with her family due to gang violence. Inflation has pushed up food prices so high that she’s now unable to afford to feed her family of eight.   “It has become more difficult to buy food,” she said. “Before, I could feed my whole family with 500 gourdes (US$ 3.80). Now, 500 gourdes is only enough for one item. How can we possibly feed everyone with 500 gourdes a day?”   On average, families reported spending just $90 (11,742 HG) per month on food. With an average of eight people per household surveyed, this equates to just $11 per person for an entire month. Some households survive on just over $1 per person per month.   As a result, 97% of families said they’ve had to reduce food portions, and 53% have been forced to ask friends or family for food.   Haiti is grappling with one of the world’s most severe hunger crises, with 5.5 million people - nearly half the population - struggling to feed themselves. Between March and June, two million people are expected to face ‘emergency’ levels of hunger, which means they face severe food shortages, health complications and high levels of disease.   The crisis is particularly devastating for women and girls. Poverty and debt increase their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse.. Malnutrition also endangers pregnant and breastfeeding women, increasing premature birth and maternal mortality.   Despite this dire situation, the humanitarian response in Haiti is critically underfunded. Less than 43% of the US$673 million required by the UN for Haiti in 2024 was raised, and the funding gap for 2025 is even greater.   Angeline Annesteus, ActionAid’s Country Director in Haiti, said:   “What we’re witnessing in Haiti isn’t a food shortage – it’s a full-blown hunger crisis driven by violence, inflation and systemic neglect. The markets still have food, but millions simply cannot afford it. To think that more than 9 in 10 people – many of them children – are going to bed hungry is heartbreaking.   “The levels of hunger, suffering and death in Haiti are beyond disturbing, world powers are looking away.. People will starve to death in the coming months unless urgent funding is released. There is no chance for peace and stability in Haiti while millions are facing starvation.”   http://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/almost-9-10-going-all-day-without-eating-hunger-haiti-reaches-record-high-actionaid http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-110/en/   Jan. 2025   Almost one in eight children internally displaced in Haiti as armed violence continues, UNICEF reports.   The number of internally displaced children in Haiti has increased by nearly 50 per cent since September – now equaling approximately one in eight children in the entire country – as a result of ongoing violence caused by armed groups.   According to latest estimates, there are now over one million internally displaced people in Haiti, over half of them children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.   “It is a horrific time to be a child in Haiti, with violence upending lives and forcing more children and families from their homes,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Children desperately need safety, protection and access to essential services. We cannot look away.”   Years of political turmoil and devastating poverty and inequality have fueled the growth of armed groups in Haiti. In the absence of other means of survival or protection, children are increasingly forced to join armed groups – with a notable 70 per cent increase in child recruitment over the past year. Up to 50 per cent of armed group members are estimated to be comprised of children. Recruitment and use of children is a grave violation of children’s rights and international law.   Displaced children and adolescents in Haiti face heightened risks of violence, including sexual violence, exploitation, and abuse, which has also surged 1,000 per cent in the past year. Their access to essential services, such as education, clean water, sanitation, and healthcare is severely disrupted – exacerbating malnutrition, and increasing exposure to disease and violence.   Unsanitary conditions in displacement sites further increase their vulnerability to diseases such as cholera which, with almost 88,000 suspected cases, continues to affect children on the island nation.   UNICEF estimates that approximately 3 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country, with over 1.2 million children under threat in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince alone, where the situation continues to deteriorate. By December, attempted sieges of residential areas led to widespread displacement, forcing an estimated 40,000 people to relocate within just two weeks.   UNICEF reiterates its urgent call for all parties to end violence and halt grave violations of children's rights, including the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, and all forms of sexual violence. It also calls for the unimpeded access of humanitarian workers to safely reach vulnerable communities, including displaced populations in need.   “Children in Haiti are bearing the brunt of a crisis they did not create. They rely on the Haitian Government and international community to take urgent action to protect their lives and safeguard their futures,” said Russell.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/almost-one-eight-children-internally-displaced-haiti-armed-violence-continues-unicef http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/crisis-haiti-what-know http://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/haiti-nation-held-hostage-gangs http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2025/02/haiti-immediate-action-needed-address-human-rights-crisis Visit the related web page
	The human rights situation in Myanmar is among the worst in the world by WFP, UN Ofice for Human Rights, agencies   May 2025   Myanmar: UN report maps pathway to fulfil aspirations for peace, inclusivity and democracy. (OHCHR)   In the face of years of suffering and abuse, the vast majority of the people of Myanmar are united in their defiance of military authoritarianism and violence, a report by the UN Human Rights Office finds, calling for renewed international resolve to end the military’s stranglehold on power and to support the democratic aspirations of the Myanmar people.   “Ever since the military disrupted Myanmar’s democratic path in 2021, the country has endured an increasingly catastrophic human rights crisis marked by unabated violence and atrocities that have affected every single aspect of life,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk.   “Over the past months, my Office has consulted with Myanmar people across all ethnic communities, sectors and demographics, particularly listening to the voices of young people, on their vision for the future,” the High Commissioner said. “They have been united in one message: they don’t want to be ruled by guns, but, rather, yearn for a peaceful, inclusive and democratic society.”   Due to be presented to the Human Rights Council on 1 July 2025, the report underscores the importance of tackling the root causes of the crisis, including unchecked political and economic power concentrated in the military’s hands, generalised impunity, instrumentalization of laws and institutions to serve military interests, and an overall system of governance based on structural racial discrimination, exclusion and division.   It identifies four key areas to the path forward: accountability, good governance, sustainable development and the actions of international and regional stakeholders.   The report also identifies the “constituents for change” -- namely women, youth, civil society organisations and grassroots networks, pro-democracy actors and the media. The voices in the report call for dismantling military-controlled institutions and economic structures, pointing in particular to the military’s domination and exploitation of the economy and natural resources for their own enrichment..   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/myanmar-un-report-maps-pathway-fulfil-aspirations-peace-inclusivity-and http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/06/hc-turk-myanmar-people-yearn-peaceful-inclusive-and-democratic http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/07/un-expert-appalled-us-withdrawal-sanctions-against-companies-providing http://specialadvisorycouncil.org/2025/07/new-sac-m-report-chinas-support-for-the-myanmar-militarys-production-of-aerial-bombs/ http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-urges-life-saving-support-myanmars-rakhine-state-hunger-surges   28 Feb. 2025   United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk update on the human rights situation in Myanmar / 58th session of the Human Rights Council:   "The human rights situation in Myanmar is among the worst in the world. Today, I will go through a litany of human suffering that is difficult to fathom.   Conflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across the country. Civilians are paying a terrible price. The number killed in violence in 2024 was the highest since the military launched their coup in 2021.   Fifteen million people face hunger this year and in the latest appalling development, up to two million people are reported to be at risk of famine.   Most civilians were killed in brutal and indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling by the military, as it continues to lose its grip on power. The targeting of schools, places of worship, healthcare facilities, displacement camps and public events caused mass civilian casualties and displacement.   At least 1,824 people were killed in 2024, including 531 women and 248 children, but these figures are probably a fraction of the real numbers as there is no verified information from several key areas where heavy fighting took place.   Analysis by my Office suggests the military has attacked healthcare facilities and staff more than 1,500 times since the coup, killing 131 health professionals.   Armed groups opposed to the coup also targeted administrators, local politicians and people affiliated with the military. While this violence is not comparable in scale and scope to that carried out by the military, all parties must respect human rights and humanitarian law.   The military continued its campaign of terrorizing the population through acts of extreme brutality, including beheadings, burnings, mutilations, executions, torture, and the use of human shields. Soldiers launched unprovoked attacks on villages where there was no active fighting.   For example, last October, the military conducted at least 13 airstrikes, burned up to 1,000 houses and killed at least 25 civilians across several villages in Budalin Township, Sagaing, in one day.   Nearly two thousand people have died in custody since the coup, including 410 in 2024 – more than one person per day. Analysis by my Office indicates most deaths were the result of summary executions and torture.   There are continued reports of the systematic use of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, in places of detention. Conditions were reported to be horrific, with squalid facilities, overcrowding, rotten food and contaminated water.   Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis continues to rage. Over 3.5 million people are displaced, and 20 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.   Hunger is reaching catastrophic levels and agricultural productivity has declined by 16 per cent since 2021. Fertilizer shortages, skyrocketing fuel prices, and trade disruptions have driven the price of rice up by 47 per cent in some regions.   The State Administrative Council took further steps in 2024 towards militarizing the entire population of Myanmar.   The activation of a law on military service led to coercive conscription into the armed forces, arbitrary arrests, often at gunpoint, and the enforced disappearance of women and men at military checkpoints and in displacement camps.   Men aged between 18 and 35, and women aged between 18 and 27, face a constant risk of arrest and recruitment into the armed forces.   This has created widespread fear and further displacement. Many young people are attempting to seek safety outside the country – putting them at further risk of trafficking, extortion and exploitation, while increasing the regional impact of this crisis.   The creation of so-called ‘Security and Anti-terrorism Groups’ at the local level has also blurred the distinction between military and civilians, putting civilians at further risk.   Collectively, these policies have had a serious impact on the economy, which was already on its knees. Three-quarters of the population are at, or below, the poverty line. Less than 80 percent of Myanmar’s children are in school, and over 3.7 million young people have left to seek protection beyond the country’s borders.   Myanmar’s Gross Domestic Product has contracted by seventeen per cent since 2020 and is not projected to grow this year. The currency has plummeted, and restrictions on imports and supply chain disruptions sent prices soaring. Inflation is projected at thirty per cent this year.   As the formal economy collapsed, crime and corruption flourished. The Global Organized Crime Index reports Myanmar was the biggest nexus of organized crime in the world in 2024..   Member States, particularly those with influence, need to work together to bolster and support ASEAN members to end the violence and resolve the crisis. That will require a political path that includes not only the National Unity Government, ethnic armed groups, and the democracy movement, but also representatives from women’s groups, youth, and civil society.   I am deeply concerned by the impact funding cuts will have on Myanmar’s embattled civil society and humanitarians. Amid challenging human rights situations around the world, I appeal to the international community to prioritize Myanmar.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/02/high-commissioner-turk-decries-litany-human-suffering-myanmar http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/third-myanmars-population-faces-food-insecurity-un-human-rights-experts http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/myanmar-implications-of-the-us-funding-freeze http://reliefweb.int/country/mmr   Feb. 2025   Myanmar on the brink as conflict fuels hunger. WFP   Hunger has reached alarming levels in Myanmar with the situation set to worsen in 2025, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. A staggering 15 million people are expected to face hunger in 2025, up from 13.3 million last year.   Those living in active conflict areas, particularly in Chin, Kachin and Rakhine states, as well as Sagaing Region, are experiencing the highest levels of food insecurity in the country. Almost 20 million people - 1 in 3 - will need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.   “Growing conflict across the country, access restrictions, a crumbling economy and successive weather-related crises are driving record levels of hunger,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Representative and Country Director.   More than 3.5 million people are displaced in Myanmar due to armed conflict and violence, a number projected to increase to 4.5 million in 2025 as conflict takes root and spreads to new areas.   Food is the biggest need for displaced people but spiraling costs and rapid inflation have made it unaffordable for many. The cost of basic staples – including rice, beans, oil and salt – has increased by 30 percent in the past year.   “Food prices in Myanmar continue to rise each and every month. Even if some food is available in local markets, people simply don't have the resources to buy the basics, which means they are eating less and going hungry," said Dunford.   The rapid escalation in humanitarian and food security needs in Myanmar has been overshadowed by international political turmoil and a surge in global crises, which have drawn public attention away from Myanmar.   “The world cannot afford to overlook Myanmar’s escalating crisis. Without immediate and increased international support, hundreds of thousands more will be pushed to the brink,” said Dunford.   http://www.wfp.org/news/myanmar-brink-conflict-fuels-hunger http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159641 http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-appeals-urgent-funding-prevent-ration-cuts-over-one-million-rohingya-refugees-bangladesh http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2025/02/27/myanmar-war-victims-rohingya-refugees-us-aid-cuts Visit the related web page
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