Violence has intensified dramatically in Port-au-Prince since November 11, as a coalition of gangs pushes for full control of the Haitian capital. Well-armed gangs control some 80% of the city, routinely targeting civilians despite a Kenyan-led international force that has been deployed to help the outgunned police restore some government order. As of November 25, 2024, more than 40,000 people fled their homes in Port-au-Prince over just ten days this month.
The International Organization for Migration described it as the worst wave of displacement in two years, with a total of 40,965 people in Port-au-Prince on the move between November 11 and 20 – some for the second or third time. "The scale of this displacement is unprecedented since we began responding to the humanitarian crisis in 2022," Gregoire Goodstein, the IOM chief in Haiti, said in a statement.
For the past two weeks, several neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area have been the sites of violent clashes involving "Viv Ansanm" ("Living Together"), an alliance of gangs formed in February aimed at overthrowing then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who resigned in April.
In total, over 700,000 people have been displaced in Haiti, the organization said. "This crisis is not just a humanitarian challenge. It is a test of our collective responsibility," Goodstein added.
Haiti has suffered from political instability for decades, with the latest security crisis linked to the presence of armed gangs that are accused of widespread murder, kidnapping, and sexual violence.