Haiti launches Peace Dividend Fund to disarm armed gangs

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has launched the Peace Dividend Fund in Haiti (FDPH), an initiative developed in collaboration with the United Nations to support the disarmament and dismantling of armed groups. The fund aims to address the country's prolonged security crisis, which has seen widespread violence, forced displacement, and kidnappings.

Announced during an official ceremony in Port-au-Prince, the launch included participation from government officials, the French ambassador, and Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Fils-Aimé described the mechanism as a ‘historic alliance’ between Haiti and the international community intended to provide a structural response to security challenges.

The government also reaffirmed its support for the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration. While international partners have pledged support for the fund, specific financial amounts and participating countries have not yet been disclosed. The initiative comes as Haiti continues to struggle with gang control over much of the capital; UN data indicates that violence in the country resulted in at least 3,050 deaths and 1,401 injuries during the first half of the year.