Here’s the translation:
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The humanitarian crisis in Haiti is worsening as gang violence increases, spreading beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince, to other regions of the country. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has raised alarms about this situation, stating that between January and May of this year, at least 2,680 people, including 54 children, have been killed. Additionally, 957 people have been injured, and there have been 316 reported kidnappings for ransom.
Türk warned that these figures, although alarming, do not reflect the full extent of the horror that Haitian citizens face daily. The violence has forced a record 1.3 million people to flee their homes, creating a destabilizing impact across the region. In the absence of effective action from security forces, self-defense groups have emerged, operating independently and contributing to an even greater climate of human rights violations. Recently, in the Bas Artibonite region, intense clashes between these groups and gangs have resulted in at least 25 deaths, alongside brutal attacks on churches and homes.
Police repression has escalated in Port-au-Prince, where around 1,450 people have died this year due to security operations, with 65 of those deaths classified as extrajudicial killings. Türk emphasized the urgent need for the use of force by authorities to conform to international human rights standards, stressing that corruption and violations are factors exacerbating the crisis.
The High Commissioner called on the international community to take decisive action to mitigate the violence in Haiti. The coming months are crucial and will serve as a test of the global community’s ability to implement effective measures that ensure the country’s future stability. He urged international cooperation, support for multinational security missions, and strict enforcement of an arms embargo, highlighting the importance of preventing further illegal weapons that worsen the situation. He also requested that countries refrain from forcibly returning anyone to Haiti and protect individuals from discrimination and stigmatization.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
