Gang Massacre in Haiti Leaves Over 70 Dead, Thousands Displaced

At least 70 people were killed and 30 injured in a gang attack in Haiti’s Artibonite region, far higher than initial official reports. The assault, blamed on the Gran Grif gang, displaced thousands and drew condemnation from the United Nations, highlighting the country’s worsening security crisis.

At least 70 people have been killed and around 30 others injured following a violent gang attack in Haiti’s Artibonite region, according to a human rights organization, with the figures far exceeding earlier reports released by authorities.
Initial police statements had placed the death toll at 16, with 10 people injured. Civil protection officials later revised the figures slightly, estimating 17 fatalities and 19 wounded. However, the Collective Defending Human Rights group reported a much higher number of casualties, describing the incident as a massacre and stating that nearly 6,000 residents were forced to flee their homes in the aftermath of the attack.
The group also criticized local authorities, accusing them of failing to respond adequately to the security situation and neglecting their responsibility to protect communities in the Artibonite region.
At a press briefing on Monday, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack. The spokesperson noted that casualty estimates varied widely, ranging from 10 to as many as 80 victims, and emphasized the seriousness of the situation. He called for a thorough investigation into the incident, stating that the attack highlights the severe security challenges facing the Haitian population.
Local civil protection officials said the assault was carried out by armed members of the Gran Grif gang in the Jean-Denis area at around 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Artibonite, a key agricultural region in the country, has increasingly become a hotspot for violence as gang activity spreads beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The latest violence follows recent United Nations reports indicating that more than 2,000 people had already been displaced by similar gang attacks in nearby Verrettes. The unrest has also forced residents of Petite-Rivière to abandon their homes.
In March, the United States announced a reward of up to $3 million for information related to the financial operations of the Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm groups, both of which have been designated as terrorist organizations by Washington.
Haitian security forces, supported by a UN-backed international mission and a US private military contractor, have intensified efforts to combat gangs that control large parts of the capital. Despite these operations, no major gang leader has been captured so far.
Since 2021, escalating gang violence has displaced more than one million people across Haiti, worsened food insecurity, and led to nearly 20,000 deaths, with the number continuing to rise each year.