Haiti gang clashes claim 78 lives, teen footballer among dead

Intense gang fighting in the poor districts of Cité Soleil and Croix des Bouquets on the outskirts of Port‑au‑Prince has left at least 78 people dead, according to a United Nations tally. The provisional count includes ten civilians and 66 injured persons.

On 16 May 2026, a 17‑year‑old footballer named Sainvilus Josué was shot dead while walking to a training session in the Sarthe area of Cité Soleil. The teenager, a goalkeeper for the FONDAPS club, was hit in the abdomen during an armed confrontation between rival gangs and died despite attempts at medical assistance. Human‑rights groups assisted his family in relocating from the violence‑ridden zone.

The surge in killings has renewed calls for Haitian authorities to strengthen protection for civilians, especially children and adolescents, amid the broader wave of insecurity affecting the capital’s metropolitan region.