A fresh surge of gang-related violence in Haiti has driven hundreds of residents from their homes, leaving them stranded along a roadway adjacent to the country's principal international airport. The clashes erupted over the weekend across several northern districts of Port-au-Prince, forcing many to seek safety on the route leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
Displaced Families Seek Refuge
Monique Verdieux, 56, recounted fleeing after witnessing armed men setting fire to homes in her neighbourhood. Her family scattered in different directions, and she remains uncertain of their whereabouts. "I am now sleeping in the street," Verdieux said, noting that it is unsafe to return to her home.
Gang Control and Violence
Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, gangs have taken control of more than 90% of Port-au-Prince. Police report that these groups have expanded their criminal activities, including looting, kidnapping, sexual assaults, and rape, into rural areas. Haiti has been without a president since Moïse's death.
Security Deterioration Near Airport
For the past two weeks, Haitian rum producer Barbancourt and two of the nation's largest bottlers have issued warnings about worsening security conditions near the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, where operations are now severely restricted. In a statement released Sunday, the companies described the government's response as "largely insufficient" and highlighted that the poor state of the roads leading to the airport hampers Haitian security forces' ability to patrol the area. "You cannot secure an airport if you allow the roads around it to degrade," the statement read.
International Response
In April, the first foreign troops linked to a United Nations gang suppression force arrived in Haiti to help quell the ongoing violence. The UN Security Council approved a plan in late September to authorize a 5,550-member force, though it has not yet fully deployed to the island nation. A report earlier this year by the International Organization for Migration found that gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people in Haiti, with approximately 200,000 now living in crowded and underfunded shelters in the capital.
