There were nearly 5,000 homicides counted in Haiti last year, more than double than in 2022, a United Nations report said Tuesday.
“I am appalled by the staggering and worsening level of gang violence devastating the lives of Haitians, in particular in Port-au-Prince,” United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said.
According to the report, a total of 4,789 homicides were registered in 2023, an increase of 119.4 percent over the previous year.
“In the same vein, the number of victims of kidnapping rose from 1,359 reported in 2022 to 2,490 in 2023, representing an 83 percent increase,” it said.
“It is difficult to overstate the gravity of the political, security, human rights and humanitarian situation in Haiti today,” Guterres said.
The report said over 1,600 officers had left the service in 2023, while 48 were killed and 75 injured.