At least 3,661 killed this year in Haiti violence: UN

One of the world's poorest countries has been plunged into anarchy, with gangs taking over the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the security and health systems collapsing.

About 600,000 people were displaced in the first six months of 2024 and 1,280 were injured in gang violence, including 295 women and 63 children, the UN rights office (OHCHR) said in a report.

At least 893 individuals, including 25 children, were kidnapped and held for ransom by criminal groups, who are vying for power in a vacuum left by political crisis and weak state authority.

"Latest figures documented by the UN Human Rights Office indicate that at least 3,661 people have been killed since January this year, maintaining the high levels of violence seen in 2023," the office said.

"No more lives should be lost to this senseless criminality," said Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The OHCHR urged Haitian authorities and the international community to do more to protect people on the Caribbean island.

"We are raising the alarm," rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva, warning that "illicit flows of arms are continuing to go into Haiti".

The report described horrific violence.

While some victims were struck by random gunfire, others were executed in broad daylight for allegedly informing authorities of opposing gang activities.