Exclusive investigation in Port-au-Prince reveals a Haitian capital torn apart by urban violence, where the shadow of gangs dominates every corner and where fear gnaws at a Haitian society in search of security. More than just a simple report, this dive takes us to the heart of the conflicts that paralyze daily life, offering a damning testimony of the crime that turns the city into a theater of chaos and anxiety.
In brief:
- ⚠️ The Haitian capital is 90% controlled by armed gangs, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes.
- 🚨 Frequent violence, ranging from murder to kidnapping, plunges the city into an almost permanent state of siege.
- 🌍 International interventions, including the recent deployment of Kenyan police, struggle to restore order despite the urgency.
- 💔 Essential infrastructures are in ruins: hospitals, roads, markets, worsening the population’s distress.
- 📉 The crisis adds to a devastating political and climatic context, intensifying the disorganization of local society.
The brutal domination of gangs in Port-au-Prince: a reign of terror that paralyzes the Haitian capital
In Port-au-Prince, crime orchestrated by gangs has become an almost institutionalized system. By controlling about 90% of the city, these armed groups impose their law, resorting to murder, rape, and kidnapping to maintain their grip. This atmosphere of fear stifles all economic and social activity. Wilson, a survivor of a slum, testifies to the brutality endured: “The gangs came, they killed many people, burned my house… I have no choice but to flee.”
The phenomenon is not limited to one neighborhood: it affects all urban areas, where displaced persons’ camps mushroom, occupying churches, schools, and former municipal administrations. These makeshift camps reveal a worsening humanitarian disaster month after month:
- 🌡️ Lack of drinking water and electricity
- 🏥 Closure of most hospitals due to insecurity
- 🔥 Precarious living conditions, notably intense heat and lack of medical aid
- 🚫 Blockade of essential roads by gang barricades
- ⚔️ Perpetual tensions with often overwhelmed local law enforcement
| Affected zone 🌍 | Main form of violence 💥 | Direct consequences 🚨 |
|---|---|---|
| Slums and peripheral neighborhoods 🌆 | Murders, forced expulsions | Mass displacements, refugee camps |
| Main streets and roadblocks 🛑 | Kidnappings, extortions | Paralysis of commerce, price increases |
| Public institutions 🏢 | Violence against public officials | Collapse of public services |
| Medical infrastructure 🏥 | Closures, staff shortages | Health crisis, increased mortality |
In this context, the State struggles to be heard. The transitional presidential council leading the country since the president’s death in 2021 is at the center of criticism. Many speak of a “spaghetti effect,” where the tangled ties between authorities and gangs make any resolution nearly impossible. This situation sometimes encourages citizen militias like the Bwa kalé movement, which resorts to extrajudicial justice, often at the cost of abominable abuses. A necessary intervention or a vicious circle of violence? This question haunts the nights of Port-au-Prince.
The devastating effects of the security crisis on the residents of the Haitian capital
The daily life of the inhabitants is marked by constant fear. Nelson Wendell, a displaced persons’ camp coordinator, describes the situation: “We cannot get sick, hospitals are closed, and the gangs leave no one alone. If they ever come in, we are defenseless.” This vulnerability drives entire families to leave everything they had built.
This demographic upheaval generates multifaceted consequences:
- 🏚️ Multiplication of makeshift camps in the state-controlled zone
- ⚖️ Loss of employment and education opportunities
- ⛔ Increased political immunity of armed groups due to State inaction
- 🚶 Dangerous displacements toward other cities or abroad
- 📈 Price inflation and food insecurity for nearly one in two Haitians
| Social impact 👥 | Description 📝 | Consequences 📉 |
|---|---|---|
| Rural exodus to Port-au-Prince | Farmland becoming unproductive | Strengthening of slums, overload of infrastructures |
| Weakening of families | Flight from violence and poverty | Disintegration of social fabric and loss of landmarks |
| Human rights at risk | Increase in kidnappings and extortions | Generalized criminalization, reduced mutual aid |
| Deterioration of public services | Closed hospitals, abandoned schools | Health crisis, increasing mortality rate |
Faced with roadblocks leading to the capital, as highlighted by Evelyn’s case at the Dominican border, commercial procedures are for many strewn with obstacles, including illegal taxes imposed by gangs and physical threats. It becomes difficult to supply the city, and this directly affects consumer prices.
Urban violence makes logistics very complex, even evacuation routes. Thus, Port-au-Prince International Airport, intermittently closed in recent years, no longer receives regular international flights, forcing Haitians to move northward, often to overcrowded cities ill-prepared for the exodus. This situation jeopardizes any prospect of peaceful exile.
The limits of international interventions facing the growing grip of gangs
Despite the dispatch of police contingents, such as the one recently deployed by Kenya, security in Port-au-Prince hardly improves. These external forces face highly organized crime, capable of recruiting widely and forming powerful alliances such as the Viv Ansanm alliance, born in 2023. Mind, a local gang leader, states: “Mercenaries and drones don’t scare us. We already control the streets.”
The outcome of these international operations remains controversial:
- 🤕 Accusations of abuses and deadly airstrikes, notably with the use of drones
- 🙅♂️ Repeated failure to dismantle gang networks
- 🤐 Lack of coordination with often corrupt local authorities
- 💉 Epidemics like cholera worsened in conflict zones
- ❌ Growing negative perception among the population, fostering distrust
| International intervention 🌐 | Expected results 🎯 | Observed reality ⚠️ |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment of Kenyan police | Restoration of order and targeted arrests | Limited controlled zones, many escape routes for gangs |
| Multinational humanitarian aid | Improvement of living conditions | Difficult access to camps, persistent insecurity |
| Use of drones | Rapid neutralization of gang leaders | Civilian casualties and innocent losses |
| Logistical support to local forces | Strengthening of police | Corruption and internal collusion |
Added to this are speculations about the presence of American mercenaries, accused of intensifying raids. This controversial international involvement fuels a cycle of mistrust and strengthens the distrust of a population already deeply marked by years of disillusionment.
Toward a disintegration of Haitian society: long-term consequences of the crisis in Port-au-Prince
The security crisis, mixed with political tensions and climatic disasters, pushes the Haitian society to a critical point. More than 1.3 million people have had to flee their homes according to the United Nations, an internal exodus that deeply disrupts social and economic structures. This forced migration creates chaos increasingly difficult to control.
Some major identified consequences:
- 📉 Erosion of human and intellectual capital with massive emigration
- 🏚️ Amplification of urban and rural poverty
- 👥 Social fragmentation around gang loyalties or local militias
- 🤯 Widespread psychological degradation caused by constant fear
- ❗ Growing difficulties in political and social organization
| Long-term consequence 📆 | Full description 📋 | Visible impact 🔍 |
|---|---|---|
| Flight of talents and elites | Mass departure of professionals, students, and executives abroad | Weakening of institutions and national capacities |
| Increase of inequalities | Social exclusion of displaced populations | Social movements, armed tensions |
| Loss of trust in institutions | Endless political crisis, nonexistent elections | Political deadlock, administrative paralysis |
| Deterioration of mental health | Widespread fears, post-traumatic disorders | Decrease in productivity and increase in violence |
The long history of Port-au-Prince, once considered the pearl of the Caribbean, now seems faced with an abyss. For many, hope is reborn through local solidarity, but revitalizing a capital attacked from all sides remains an immense challenge.
Local initiatives and resistance to regain control in the face of fear and urban violence
In this hostile environment, citizen forces try to respond. The Bwa kalé movement, for example, seeks to establish zero tolerance against gang intrusions in certain neighborhoods. Lano Yves, a local leader, explains that their method consists of barricading streets and defending themselves through direct actions, while denouncing any exaggerations: “We do not turn bandits over to the police, but popular justice.”
Besides these militias, some associations and churches play a vital role in organizing displaced persons’ camps, providing water, care, and minimal surveillance despite limited resources. Nelson Wendell and his colleagues, facing rising illness and despair, try to offer a semblance of normality:
- 🚰 Setting up drinking water points
- 🩺 Health awareness and first aid
- 🔒 Surveillance against gang incursions into camps
- 📚 Organizing educational activities for displaced children
- 🤝 Coordination with local and international NGOs
| Local initiative 🏘️ | Objective 🎯 | Result achieved ✔️ |
|---|---|---|
| Bwa kalé movement | Maintain security in the streets | Fight against gangs, sometimes through controversial lynchings |
| Humanitarian associations | Ensure a minimum decent life for the displaced | Water points, care, modest education |
| Local churches | Provide shelter and moral support | Multiplication of improvised refuges |
| International collaboration | Mobilize resources and expertise | Technical support, slightly improved living conditions |
This multitude of initiatives illustrates the resilience of part of the population, even if the shadow of gangs and distrust of institutions complicate every step. To learn more about this difficult struggle, the Exclusive Investigation offered by several media provides valuable insight into this complex and heartbreaking phenomenon.