Gang violence leaves at least 84 dead in Haiti’s historical agricultural heartland

Violence expanding eastwards deepens the country’s food insecurity

A report from the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) revealed that armed gangs in Haiti carried out 24 massacres and attacks in the Artibonite department between January and September this year, leaving at least 84 people dead in the country’s historical agricultural heartland.

The uncontrolled violence that previously devastated the West department has now spread to Artibonite and the Center. Nationally, the UN reported 4,239 people were killed in Haiti in the first eight months of the year.

Victims included four Haitian National Police officers and two officers from the Multinational Security Support Mission. Gangs also vandalized or set fire to six state institutions, including police stations and magistrates’ courts.

The RNDDH noted that Police in Artibonite were “overwhelmed” by a chronic lack of resources and warned that violence would “worsen and continue to spread” if authorities do not act urgently.

The organization demanded immediate measures to protect the population, restore security for displaced persons, and provide law enforcement with the necessary intelligence and resources.

In addition, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that 5.7 million Haitians (more than half the population) currently face high levels of food insecurity, with 1.9 million facing acute shortages and high malnutrition.

The IPC predicts food insecurity will worsen by mid-2026, with an estimated 5.91 million people at risk of critical hunger, and nearly 2 million remaining in emergency conditions.

The crisis stems from six consecutive years of economic recession and increased gang violence, which have displaced families, disrupted livelihoods, and reduced agricultural production.

While Action Against Hunger Director Martine Villeneuve noted the absence of the most extreme famine phase as “encouraging,” she stressed that any gains are fragile and require stronger, long-term investment to address the root causes, as more than half the population remains dependent on aid. “The current response is, by nature, short-term and cannot be sustained without stronger, long-term investment to address the root causes of food insecurity,” Villeneuve said.