Violence in Haiti is escalating as different criminal groups try to take control of increasingly larger parts of the capital Port-au-Prince, while clashes with self-proclaimed "defense groups" open up new fronts of violence. This is stated by the human rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report on Thursday.
The violence appears to be spreading to several parts of the country, which is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in the world, where the democratic rule of law is in shambles.
"The security situation in Haiti is in free fall. Haitians are being forced to endure horrific abuses," writes Nathalye Cotrino on HRW.
She notes that only a tenth of the country is controlled by the Haitian government and authorities. The situation has also deteriorated since the turn of the year, with daily reports of murder, kidnappings, and sexual violence. The police and international efforts are underdimensioned and lack support to counter the development.
"UN member states must immediately strengthen the capacity of the UN-supported security mission (MSS) and immediately convert international commitments into a regular UN operation," writes Cotrino in the report.
