UN Secretary‑General Guterres visits Haiti amid escalating gang violence

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres arrived in Port‑au‑Prince on 16 June 2026, describing Haiti’s humanitarian situation as “desperate” and warning that the country is facing the most severe crisis in the Western Hemisphere. UN data show that gang‑related violence this year has killed at least 2,300 people, injured 1,100 and resulted in 99 kidnappings, while 1.5 million Haitians are internally displaced and more than five million face severe food insecurity. The UN’s 2026 humanitarian plan, worth $880 million, is funded at less than a quarter of its target.

During the visit Guterres toured a former school turned shelter, met women and children living in crowded conditions, and visited the headquarters of the new UN‑approved Gang Suppression Force (GSF). The force, authorized by the Security Council in September, is slated to replace the under‑funded Multinational Security Support mission and could grow to 5,500 police and troops from countries such as Chad, Jamaica, Guatemala, El Salvador and others. He also met Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils‑Aimé, urging accelerated steps toward credible elections and stressing that security must improve before voting can take place.

Guterres thanked the Dominican Republic for its logistical and diplomatic support to the Haitian mission, and UN human‑rights chief Volker Türk called for swift action to end impunity. “Each day is a fight to survive,” Guterres said, emphasizing the need for the international community to fulfill its commitments.