Port-au-Prince, (EFE).- At least 35 suspected members of the Viv Ansanm (Live Together) gang coalition were killed and 40 others injured on Wednesday during clashes with Haitian police and military forces in the Pacot, neighborhood of the capital, according to a local human rights organization.
The National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) said self-defense brigades also took part in the operation targeting armed groups accused of terrorizing residents in Pacot.
The Haitian National Police (PNH) confirmed the deaths of six people, including two soldiers, and said multiple gang members were arrested, though it did not provide exact figures.
In a statement posted on social media, the PNH said specialized units remained on the ground to pursue ongoing operations against the gangs.
Government condemns attacks amid escalating violence
The clashes come amid escalating gang violence across Haiti, which has pushed the country deeper into a humanitarian and security crisis.
The Transnational Presidential Council (CPT), installed to guide the country toward elections, expressed “deep sorrow” over the deadly incidents in Pacot and nearby Canape-Vert, where heavily armed assailants also attacked a civilian patrol unit.
The CPT vowed to “do everything possible to restore peace and stability,” while the Haitian government issued a statement honoring the fallen police and civilian responders, calling the mission to secure the population “sacred.”
“No gang, no violence will break the Republic’s resolve,” the government said. “These brave officers died fulfilling their oath: to protect and serve. Their courage commands respect.”
The UN estimates that more than 5,600 people have been killed in Haiti so far in 2024, over 1,000 more than last year. More than 2,200 injured and nearly 1,500 kidnapped. The violence has also displaced over one million people.
Health system collapse accelerates
As insecurity spreads, critical infrastructure is crumbling. One of Haiti’s last functioning hospitals, the University Hospital of Mirebalais, located in the country’s central region, was forced to close indefinitely in early April after armed groups reached the city.
The hospital, which offered free cancer treatment and dialysis to hundreds of patients daily, evacuated all staff and patients for safety.
“This is the greatest tragedy of my lifetime,” Dr. Denis Joseph Jean Baptiste, the regional health director, told EFE.
“To see this hospital fall into the hands of thugs is heartbreaking,” he added.
The shutdown has added pressure to nearby facilities like St. Therese Hospital in Hinche and the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Artibonite, which have treated over 200 patients in recent weeks for gunshot wounds, strokes, and malnutrition.
The United Nations reports that fewer than 40% of health centers in Port-au-Prince remain fully operational, many struggling to secure oxygen and emergency supplies.
Over the last four years, dozens of medical facilities have been looted, burned, or forced to shut down due to gang violence.
With no clear timeline for elections and international aid severely limited, Haiti remains in a deepening state of crisis, its institutions fragile, its people increasingly vulnerable, and its capital city gripped by war-like conditions. EFE
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