Haiti gang violence forces thousands from homes, residents protest in Cite Soleil

Armed gangs swept through Port-au-Prince’s Cite Soleil neighbourhood, igniting intense gunfire and looting that forced more than 5,000 residents to flee their homes since Sunday. Protesters gathered with tree branches, demanding police protection as the violence continued, with locals reporting multiple killings and injuries.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine evacuated patients, including newborns, after stray bullets threatened hospital staff and visitors. The United Nations has mobilised a humanitarian response and a multinational security mission, with around 400 Chadian soldiers deployed, though the UN‑approved 5,550‑troop force remains incomplete.

The crisis follows the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, a decline in police control of the capital from 90% to about 70%, and the resignation of the unelected prime minister earlier this year. Gang activities now extend to looting, kidnapping and sexual assaults, displacing thousands and straining already limited humanitarian resources.