©️photo : AP
Port-au-Prince, May 21, 2026.- Between March 6 and May 16, 2026, Haiti was hit by a wave of particularly deadly violence in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. According to the United Nations, at least 390 people were killed in Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets during gang clashes. The violence forced more than 10,000 inhabitants to flee their homes and aggravated an already extremely fragile humanitarian situation.
Behind these figures are broken lives, displaced families and entire neighbourhoods plunged into fear. The clashes between armed groups, linked to struggles for territorial control, have transformed certain areas of Cité Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets into areas of permanent survival. Residents were killed at home, while others tried to escape the crossfire, while several were reportedly targeted against a background of suspicion of collaboration with rival gangs.
Violence has not been limited to loss of life. According to the United Nations, 87 houses and public buildings have been set on fire, destroying essential landmarks for already fragile communities. These attacks have paralysed vital services, including health care, schools and local economic activities, plunging entire neighbourhoods into even deeper insecurity.
At the same time, the humanitarian crisis is growing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 10,000 people have been displaced in just a few days. The majority of them now live in overcrowded reception sites or in families already in difficulty. The health situation is critical: barely 11% of hospital facilities are still fully functioning in the metropolitan area, leaving thousands of people without adequate access to care.
W.A.
