Haiti’s insecurity is worsening as gangs seize more territory, UN rights expert says

Associated Press

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A U.N. human rights expert says that gang violence is spreading across Haiti as a U.N.-backed mission targeting criminals remains underfunded and understaffed. William O’Neill said on Friday that Haiti’s National Police still lack the “logistical and technical capacity” to fight gangs, which he said are encroaching on new territories as arms and ammunition flow into Haiti despite an international embargo. From April to end of June, at least 1,379 people were reported killed or injured in Haiti, and another 428 kidnapped. That’s according to the United Nations. Meanwhile, at least 700,000 people have been left homeless in recent years by gang violence, more than half of them children.