19 Jan 2024 | 06:28 PM UTC
Haiti: Gang activity likely to persist in Port-au-Prince through late January /update 1
Gang activity likely to continue in several areas of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, through late January.
Gang-related violence will likely persist in Port-au-Prince through at least late January. Attacks by suspected gang members have affected multiple areas of Port-au-Prince in recent days, including, but not limited to, Solino, Avenue Poupelard, Carrefour Aeroport, Bel Air, and Delmas 24, 19, and 18.
On Jan. 19, at least six members of a local church were kidnapped at the junction of Avenue Christophe and Rue de Chilli in the neighborhood of Saint-Gerard. On Jan. 18, armed individuals blocked roads and burned down several houses in several neighborhoods of the city, especially Solino. Officials deployed additional police forces to Solino on the night of Jan. 18. Armed gang members also ransacked Eglise du Christ de Port-au-Prince in Delmas. Additionally, residents have been building roadblocks in and around the affected areas in recent days.
Armed clashes will likely continue over the coming hours, prompting significant transport and business disruptions in the affected areas.
Strictly avoid the affected area and heed the instructions of local authorities. Plan accordingly for potential transport and business disruptions in other parts of Port-au-Prince in the event clashes should extend to other locations. Leave the area immediately if violence erupts nearby; if unable to do so, take refuge in a secure building until it is safe to depart.
The incidence of violent crime in Haiti is trending upward, with gangs currently dominating around 80 percent of the capital. Areas most commonly affected by violent crime include Carrefour, Drouillard, Champs-de-Mars, Croix-des-Bouquets, Laboule 12, Cite Soleil, Martissant, Bel Air, Toussaint Brave, Bas-Delmas, Santo, Torcelle, and Fontamara. Shooting incidents along the Airport Road are common and can affect travelers going to and from Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP).
Between July 1 and Sept. 30 in 2023, more than 1,230 homicides were reported in Haiti, greatly exceeding the 577 homicides recorded during the same period in 2022. Additionally, more than 700 kidnappings were reported July 1-Sept. 30 in 2023, marking an increase of more than 200 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
