Posted on 03 May 2023
Mercy Corps have expressed deep concern for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Haiti, particularly following the clash on April 24, in which 14 suspected gang members were killed.
Although the conflict has been ongoing since July 2021, urban violence has escalated significantly in 2023. Armed gangs are carrying out extreme violence and atrocities against civilians and children - particularly in the nations capital where homocides have increased by 21% so far this year. The fighting has also fuelled a food crisis in the nation, with 4.9 million people – or around 50% of the population – experiencing hunger.
“Nowhere is safe, and nobody is safe” Lunise Jules, Mercy Coups Country Director for Haiti, says regarding the widespread instability. "We are on the brink of a civil war between gangs and civilians.”