Background
Haiti suffered from increased violence, political instability and multiple crises, particularly regarding human rights.
In August, Laurent Saint-Cyr took office as the fourth president of the Presidential Transition Council in 15 months. The council is responsible for governing and organizing elections.
Hundreds of thousands of Haitians left the country in search of safety, but generally suffered racist treatment in various countries and were denied the protection that should be guaranteed under international law.
Economic, social and cultural rights
Violence hindered the exercise and guarantee of the right to life, physical integrity, food, healthcare, clean water, housing and education.
In April, activists and organizations urged France to address its colonial past on the bicentenary of the “independence debt”.1
The sudden suspension at the start of the year of foreign aid from the USA, the country’s largest individual donor, forced the closure of many essential medical services, including care to victims of sexual violence.2
In September, the head of the OCHA expressed concern about the alarming humanitarian crisis, the urgent need for protection in the face of a cholera outbreak, and rising malnutrition rates. Half of the Haitian population faced food insecurity and the levels of forced displacement were unprecedented.
In December, the OCHA reported that nearly 1.4 million people – including more than 741,000 children – had been internally displaced, many of them two or three times.
According to UN data, the humanitarian response plan for Haiti received only 24.2% of the necessary funding in 2025, a percentage far below that of other response plans worldwide.
Unlawful killings
Gangs expanded their influence and self-defence groups took on vigilante roles. The UN Integrated Office in Haiti reported more than 8,100 killings as of November.
In September, a massacre in the community of Labodri, 40km north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, highlighted the authorities’ ineffectiveness in protecting the population.
Right to truth, justice and reparation
Operation of the justice system was seriously impaired and impunity prevailed for abuses and violations of human rights. Many victims did not report crimes for fear of reprisals or because of the absence of police in areas controlled by gangs, which acted as de facto authorities.
In February, the UN Secretary-General submitted a proposal that included strengthening the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission (deployment of which was plagued with serious shortcomings in human and economic resources), with the UN taking on greater responsibility for logistics and financing. In August, the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) also presented a roadmap proposing a coordination mechanism under OAS leadership to coordinate initiatives promoted by the UN, the humanitarian aid sector, donor countries and other relevant actors to bring peace and security to Haiti.
In September, the UN Security Council passed a resolution for the transition of the MSS mission to the Gang Suppression Force. The resolution, which integrated both UN and OAS proposals, generated concern among human rights organizations due to lack of clarity on the operations to be carried out, financial sustainability, and compliance with human rights safeguards.
Children’s rights
Children were victims of various human rights abuses, including recruitment by armed gangs, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions, killings and injuries. Children with disabilities were disproportionately affected.
There were serious shortcomings in the juvenile justice system, as well as overcrowded conditions in facilities such as the Centre for the Re-education of Minors in Conflict with the Law, which also housed adults.
The state’s capacity to provide health services, support for the reintegration of children recruited by gangs and adequate protection and justice remained extremely weak, exposing them to continued human rights abuses.
