(2023-10) BINUH - Rapò Sekretè Jeneral la sou Biwo Entegre Nasyonzini an Ayiti

S United Nations /2023/768 Security Council Distr.: General 16 October 2023 Original: English United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti Report of the Secretary-General I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2692 (2023), by which the Council decided to extend until 15 July 2024 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), in accordance with resolution 2476 (2019) establishing BINUH. The report includes significant developments since the previous report of 3 July 2023 (S/2023/492) and provides an update on the implementation of the BINUH mandate. II. Political issues and good governance 2. The reporting period was marked by the adoption of Security Council resolution 2699 (2023) authorizing the deployment of a non-United Nations multinational security support mission to Haiti. Dialogue between the Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, his Government and signatories and non-signatories of the National Consensus for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections of 21 December 2022, also known as the 21 December Agreement, continued, albeit at an unsteady pace, amid increasing security challenges. The enlargement of the High Transitional Council and a government reshuffle, and two consensus-building measures discussed in the political forums organized by the High Transitional Council in May and further discussed during the meeting of Haitian stakeholders, held in Kingston in June, under the auspices of the Eminent Persons Group of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), were central to discussions. Critical differences persisted, with some opposition groups advocating for the establishment of a presidential college to head the State or, alternatively, the appointment of a non-elected provisional president, with the authority to nominate a new Prime Minister. 3. On 20 August, members of the Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis (known as the Montana Group), including members of its Bureau de suivi, called on the Prime Minister and his cabinet to resign, citing high levels of insecurity and a failure to deliver on basic needs for the population. They indicated that the immediate departure of the Prime Minister was a prerequisite for the political dialogue to achieve concrete results. In an open letter on 21 August, a forum of seven former Haitian Prime Ministers, from across the political spectrum, expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation, the weak economy, surging inflation, food insecurity and widespread poverty. They called on political stakeholders to address the mounting 23-19354 (E) 201023 *2319354* S/2023/768 challenges confronting the country by setting aside their differences and engaging genuinely to strengthen democratic institutions and restore the rule of law. On 23 August, various signatories of the 21 December Agreement, including the Mouvement Toutouni and Compromis historique political platforms, called on the Prime Minister to continue dialogue on ways to enlarge the High Transitional Council and strengthen national consensus on the way forward. 4. The Special Representative for Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, continued to use her good offices to encourage the Prime Minister, as well as a wide range of stakeholders – including the High Transitional Council, the President of the Court of Cassation, political figures from across the spectrum, anti-corruption activists, academia, leaders of civil society organizations, women’s associations, youth organizations, trade unions, the business sector and religious groups – to work towards the restoration of democratic institutions and the rule of law. 5. With support from BINUH and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the secretariat of the High Transitional Council began planning to further dialogue among Haitians to broaden consensus on security solutions, as well as on political, constitutional and electoral reforms and the political participation of women and youth. On 9 August, the mission supported a Haitian youth platform initiative that gathered 300 participants, representing 30 youth organizations from the 10 Haitian departments. Discussions and recommendations focused on ways to foster youth political participation across the country, with an emphasis on future elections and constitutional reform. Similar support was provided for a Haitian “inclusion week” in August, featuring workshops, debates and other events aimed at increasing the participation of marginalized communities in political life. Participants included women, youth, members of the LGBTQI+ community, people living with disabilities and people living with HIV. 6. After its initial visit in July, the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group returned to Haiti from 4 to 11 September to follow up with Haitian stakeholders on the agreements reached at the Kingston meeting in June, namely the enlargement of the High Transitional Council, the formation of a “government of national unity”, the establishment of a new provisional electoral council and constitutional reform. At the end of the visit, the Eminent Persons Group issued a statement expressing disappointment with the tone of the discussions and the hardening of positions, such as the call by some political actors for the Prime Minister’s resignation. The Group, however, said it remained hopeful that determination, goodwill and recognition of the interests of the Haitian people would prevail and allow for a solution that would restore Haiti to a path of constitutionalism and democracy. On 22 September, in front of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, the Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to establishing a new provisional electoral council and holding elections. 7. Following a 29 July announcement by Kenya that it would consider leading a multinational security support mission to Haiti, the Organization of American States and CARICOM issued statements welcoming this prospect. Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas and Jamaica, announced their readiness to contribute to the initiative. In Haiti, private sector organizations, civil society associations, national think tanks and community-based platforms also expressed support for the deployment of a multinational security support mission. They emphasized the urgency of restoring security and the rule of law to allow commercial activities to resume and strengthen the economy. Similarly, a conference of Haitian religious groups denounced the increasingly deteriorating security situation, calling on national stakeholders to overcome differences and chart a common path to end gang violence. The Forum national de la société civile, a countrywide organization of 2,000 community-based organizations, called for urgent international support to the Haitian National Police. Some organizations affiliated with the Montana Group released a 2/22 23-19354 S/2023/768 letter to the African Union appealing to African nations to cease efforts towards a foreign occupation disguised as a multinational security presence. Similarly, the National Haitian-American Elected Officials Network and the Family Action Network Movement, two organizations based in the United States of America, addressed an open letter to the President of the United States, dated 22 September, opposing international military intervention in Haiti. 8. The civil society organization Alliance pour la gestion des risques et la continuité des activités released the results of its second survey on the security situation in Haiti on 9 August. The survey showed that 56 per cent of respondents had little confidence in the capacity of the Haitian National Police to counter armed gang violence, 60 per cent doubted that the Haitian National Police alone could restore security and 68 per cent agreed that an international force was necessary. In addition, 75 per cent indicated that the national army should intervene. The survey sample consisted of 1,387 persons, representative of the population in terms of age, gender and education, from across the country. 9. To foster regional solidarity for Haiti, the Special Representative travelled to Latin American capitals to meet with senior officials. From 26 to 30 August, she visited Mexico City, and from 3 to 10 September, Brasilia and Santiago de Chile. All interlocutors reaffirmed their solidarity with Haiti and agreed to continue exploring possible regional avenues for further support to the country and its people. III. Violence reduction 10. The reporting period, marked by fleeting alliances between various gangs, has seen an increase in the number of indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, rapes and attacks on several urban neighbourhoods considered relatively safe until recently. The absence of viable and sustainable economic alternatives for youth, compounded by threats and intimidation, continues to drive young Haitians into joining neighbourhood gangs. 11. Major crimes, including intentional homicides and kidnappings, surged at unprecedented rates, mostly in the West and Artibonite Departments. Between 1 July and 30 September, the national police reported 1,239 homicides, against 577 reported during the same period in 2022. There were 701 victims of abductions, including 221 women, 8 girls and 18 boys, from July to September, a 244 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2022 (see annex 1.5). Killings by self-defence or “vigilante” groups continued to be recorded, with 388 alleged gang members lynched between 24 April and 30 September. From July to September, 746 protests, 661 of which were violent, denouncing insecurity and State weakness and expressing socioeconomic grievances, were reported throughout the country. From January to September, 3,334 people were victims of intentional homicide, including 340 women, 63 boys and 26 girls, while 1,787 people (including 506 women, 45 boys and 20 girls) were kidnapped. The projected 2023 homicide ratio is now 38.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than double the 2022 ratio of 18.1. 12. In the capital, concerted deadly attacks on the commune of Tabarre and the neighbourhood of Carrefour Feuilles (West Department) triggered the displacement of tens of thousands of people during the rainy season. The displaced sought refuge in makeshift sites, generating additional humanitarian needs. On 26 August, a religious leader in the commune of Tabarre organized a protest, leading hundreds of followers, some reportedly armed, towards Canaan, a sprawling neighbourhood north of the capital, to confront an armed gang. They were quickly overpowered and dispersed, but a number of the protesters – young men and women – were abducted, tortured and executed. An investigation by Haitian authorities is under way to 23-19354 3/22 S/2023/768 determine the identity of the perpetrators, the number of victims and the true intent of the religious leader, which has been widely questioned in social media. 13. On 9 September, private sector and civil society organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce of Haiti, the Haitian Industrial Association, the Volontariat pour le développement d’Haïti and the Centre d’analyse et de recherche en droits de l’homme, issued a joint statement calling on the Government to spare no effort in designing social welfare and infrastructure projects focused on youth unemployment, the delivery of food and water and the rehabilitation of police stations to bring hope to the most vulnerable communities. 14. BINUH continued to provide technical and logistic support to the interministerial task force on disarmament, dismantlement and reintegration and community violence reduction. In July and August 2023, BINUH facilitated meetings between State institutions, including the Ministries of Trade and Industry and of Youth, Sports and Civic Action, with selected private sector representatives. BINUH engaged civil society organizations and academia to support the inclusive development of the national action plan on disarmament, dismantlement and reintegration and community violence reduction and to identify initiatives that could provide sustainable alternatives for vulnerable communities, especially youth at risk of recruitment by armed gangs. 15. On 10 and 11 August, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action celebrated International Youth Day, hosting 250 youth from fragile communities with the support of the United Nations system, while 30 young men and women representing community organizations met with the Deputy Special Representative to discuss their commitment to promoting a peaceful and stable environment and ways to protect inclusive representation of youth in an electoral process. 16. BINUH supported national capacities on weapons and ammunition management, facilitating two meetings of the interministerial task force on disarmament, dismantlement and reintegration and community violence reduction, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Together with UNDP, BINUH provided advice in the last round of revisions of a draft national law on weapons and ammunition. IV. Security and the rule of law Police 17. The ability of the Haitian National Police to curb gang violence remained inadequate. Attrition rates continued to climb, and 1,045 officers, including 102 women, stepped down between January and September 2023. From 1 January to 30 September, 40 police officers were killed (23 on-duty; 17 off-duty), and 55 were wounded (43 on-duty; 12 off-duty). As at 30 September, national police strength stood at 13,816, including 1,639 women (see annex 1.6). The lack of an effective national strategy for operations and reform, the absence of dedicated, equipped and well- trained anti-gang units, increasing losses in operational capacity, the loss or degradation of operational assets following targeted gang attacks and shortfalls in resource management pose monumental challenges. As of the time of writing, of 412 police buildings, 45, including corrections facilities, were non-operational, under the direct control of armed gangs or had been subjected to repeated attacks. In late August, the Prime Minister ordered a significant reshuffle of the high command. 18. The Haitian National Police, with the support of BINUH, the United Nations country team and bilateral donors, is implementing a number of projects funded 4/22 23-19354 S/2023/768 through the two-year joint programme to support the professionalization of the national police (known as the basket fund). The UNDP-managed, multi-donor fund has received pledges of $25.2 million of the $28.0 million requested for the first two years of activities. As at 13 September, $3.3 million of the $15.5 million transferred has been committed, enabling the delivery to the Haitian National Police of 150 motorbikes, 20 vehicles, 10 drones, technical equipment and materials. The project supporting the vetting of police officers by the Haitian National Police recruitment service and the General Inspectorate is progressing, with 148 of the 182 police officers of the General Inspectorate registered so far, despite significant logistical constraints. While the project is set to end its first two years of operations in June 2024, discussions are under way to extend timelines to provide an incentive programme for front-line personnel and digitalize police records. 19. In collaboration with the Organization of American States, UNODC began assisting Haitian authorities in combating illicit financial flows; strengthening investigative, prosecution and adjudication capacities against corruption and economic crimes, money-laundering and associated predicate offences; and improving information-sharing with international investigators. An action plan addressing deficiencies in anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering and anti-terrorism frameworks was drafted with Haitian authorities. UNODC organized three days of training on judicial integrity, in partnership with the Haitian Anti-Corruption Unit and the School of Magistrates. UNODC also consulted with PoliFront, the Haitian border police, to assess needs and priorities with regard to combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling and strengthening capacities in intelligence-led operations to dislodge criminal gangs in control of key locations in Port-au-Prince and beyond the capital. 20. At the regional level, the protracted instability and violence in Haiti have contributed to a significant, and increasing, exodus of Haitian nationals in dangerous cross-border journeys. In 2022, 9 per cent of the total recorded number of people attempting the crossing of the Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia were Haitian nationals, amounting to 22,435 people. From January to August 2023, this number increased to 37,193 people, or 14 per cent of the total flow. UNODC is seeking to incorporate Haiti into regional projects to dismantle, disrupt and bring to justice human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks active in Latin America and the Caribbean, while ensuring the protection and upholding the rights of victims. 21. Following the announcement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kenya on 29 July of his Government’s decision to consider leading a multinational security support mission to Haiti, a delegation from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited Haiti from 20 to 23 August to assess the situation in Port-au-Prince and take stock of the security challenges plaguing the national police in countering armed gangs. In the days leading up to the arrival of the delegation, several violent and simultaneous armed gang attacks rocked communes across the West Department. Corrections 22. Since the previous report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/492), prison conditions have continued to deteriorate, marked by increased mortality rates, due in part to disruptions in the supply of medication and an increase in cases of tuberculosis and in HIV/AIDS-related complications. As at 5 October, 11,845 people (11,477 men, 368 women) were being held in Haitian prisons, of whom 83.25 per cent were in pretrial detention. The average cell occupation rate was 330 per cent (see annex 1.6). Between 1 July and 5 October 2023, 75 inmate deaths were documented, most linked to inadequate health care. Of these, 12 died of complications related to HIV/AIDS, including 10 cases in Les Cayes prison, one of the most overcrowded detention facilities in the country, with a 777 per cent occupation rate. BINUH, in coordination 23-19354 5/22 S/2023/768 with the Ministry of Public Health and Population, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) and non-governmental organization partners, assisted penitentiary authorities in implementing prevention and mitigation measures against HIV/AIDS-related complications, including by providing a supply of antiretroviral medicine and hygiene kits. An anti-cholera vaccination campaign was also implemented in detention facilities in the Artibonite Department by the Ministry of Public Health and Population with the support of BINUH and penitentiary authorities and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). 23. A prison with capacity for 300 inmates in Petit-Goâve (West Department), was officially completed on 30 August. The new facility is not yet operational owing to a lack of human resources but is expected to eventually decongest police station holding cells. Plans to create additional facilities are being developed with international donor support. Justice 24. The implementation of a quota system to reduce prolonged and arbitrary pretrial detention by expediting the review of pending cases and evaluating the performance of prosecutors, which was adopted by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in December 2022, resumed after having been interrupted by the court clerk and prosecutor strikes from March to June 2023. Statistics for July 2023 show a significant increase in the number of cases processed by prosecutors’ offices in one month, including 432 introductory indictments, 188 final indictments and 365 cases that were dropped. 25. The Court of First Instance in Port-au-Prince opened the session of criminal hearings without a jury on 24 July. After three weeks of hearings, 38 cases went to trial, with 12 detainees released and 14 convicted. BINUH provided technical and logistical support for the holding of a preparatory meeting on 18 July that brought together judges, public prosecutors, police and prison authorities in Port-au-Prince to discuss needs and challenges. BINUH further supported the organization of a meeting on 23 August to assess progress and address challenges, including security-related issues and the lack of space exacerbated by the gang occupation of the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance since 2022. 26. The Peacebuilding Fund is currently financing an inter-agency project on social cohesion and national consensus against corruption jointly implemented by UNDP, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNODC. In addition to strengthening Haitian institutions in charge of preventing and fighting corruption, this project aims at empowering Haitian civil society, including women and youth, to advocate for anti-corruption reform and take the lead on awareness-raising initiatives. Examples of recent activities implemented within this framework include technical advice on a draft law for whistle-blower and witness protection; a national dialogue on the gender dimension of corruption; technical assistance and capacity-building on judicial integrity; and capacity-building and reflection on interinstitutional cooperation between judges of the anti-corruption circuit. V. Human rights 27. Human rights abuses perpetrated by gangs have reached alarming levels. The population in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince (see annex 1.1) and the Artibonite Department (see annex 1.4) continued to be subject to indiscriminate killings, executions, sexual violence, kidnappings and destruction of property. 6/22 23-19354 S/2023/768 28. In Tabarre, Port-au-Prince and Croix-des-Bouquets (West Department), as well as in Saut d’Eau (Centre Department), a gang coalition launched brutal attacks against the population to extend their control and subdue populations perceived to be resistant to their influence. Entire families, including children, were executed inside their homes, while other victims were burned alive in the streets. In Port-au-Prince and Cité Soleil, human rights abuses as a result of clashes between gangs continued to be reported. 29. The vigilante movement known as “Bwa Kale”, which intensified its activities in late April amid unprecedented levels of gang violence in the capital, has now expanded to most departments, particularly the Artibonite, Centre and Grand-Anse Departments, and remains a concern. The number of killings attributed to the movement observed in the third quarter remains extremely worrying, as 133 alleged gang members and individuals suspected of common crimes were lynched during the reporting period. 30. Between July and September, 27 per cent of all victims of killings, injuries and kidnappings nationwide were reported in the Artibonite communes of Montrouis, Marchand-Dessalines, Gros Morne, L’Estère, Liancourt, Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, Verettes and Saint-Marc (see annex 1.4). Most incidents took place against communities living under the control of opposing criminal gangs, when perpetrators shot indiscriminately at people in the streets or executed individuals inside their homes for allegedly supporting rival gangs. Shootings and kidnappings have also become recurrent against passengers travelling along National Road 1 in Artibonite. Between July and September, at least 515 people were kidnapped in Artibonite and in the neighbouring Croix-des-Bouquets commune, most from public transit vehicles. Female victims, in particular, were subjected to sexual violence during these kidnappings, while those who resisted being kidnapped were executed. 31. During an August wave of attacks on the Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods of Carrefour Feuilles and Savane Pistache (Tabarre commune, West Department), four women were gang-raped inside their residences. One of the victims was killed and her body and home burned. In the Artibonite Department, women and girls are increasingly exposed to sexual violence during gang attacks or when they travel in public transportation vehicles along National Road 1. BINUH has continued to monitor and refer incidents to health-care and psychosocial service providers, but funds and programmes remain largely insufficient. During the reporting period, at least 731 women and girl survivors of violence from the metropolitan area of Port- au-Prince received support and assistance from humanitarian actors, including psychosocial support and medical care, while 326 survivors in need were provided safe shelter and 262 others were relocated. 32. Gang violence continued to have a negative impact on the realization of social, economic and cultural rights, as well as freedom of movement. In the communes of Croix-des-Bouquets and Port-au-Prince, drivers, passersby and street vendors were extorted and robbed at improvised checkpoints erected by gangs along the main roads, and trucks transporting goods were frequently hijacked. Between July and September, almost 500 residences and other buildings were looted, destroyed and/or set on fire, including five police stations. Following a practice that has become common in the Artibonite Department, on 12 August, gang members occupied approximately 300 hectares of land owned by farmers in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite and demanded a sum of money to vacate the area. 33. The recruitment of children into armed gangs remains a critical concern. During the reporting period, testimonies were recorded from 10 male children associated with gangs, aged 15 to 17. The boys described in detail their role as lookouts, or “antennas”, as they are locally known, to facilitate kidnappings and robberies. The 23-19354 7/22 S/2023/768 lack of economic and social opportunities for children and youth, including limited access to schools and high levels of food insecurity among children, are factors that are exploited by gangs, who offer these children regular access to food and money in exchange for their “work” as a gang member. Several child gang members have indicated a desire to leave the gangs but are prevented from doing so for fear of retaliation from both their home communities and the gangs. Children who have tried to leave gangs have been sought out and executed by gang members. Impunity 34. The premises of the Courts of First Instance in Port-au-Prince and Croix-des- Bouquets have been non-operational since gang attacks in June and July 2022 rendered them damaged and inaccessible. Haitian judicial authorities put in place mitigating measures and took some steps in the investigation and prosecution of corruption involving former politicians and senior civil servants. On 21 June, an investigating judge issued an arrest warrant against two former senators and referred them to the Court of First Instance in Port-au-Prince for corruption. One appeared before the Court on 4 May, when an investigation opened by the national Anti-Corruption Unit found sufficient evidence to substantiate the charge. The other was charged with obstruction of justice for refusing to hand over documents while still in office. 35. Two cases related to arms and ammunition trafficking are also in progress. On 12 September, an investigating judge issued a referral order on a case of alleged trafficking of weapons and ammunition that took place in July 2022. During the preliminary investigation, two alleged traffickers were released by three officials in the course of their duties. The three officials have since been charged with collusion in arms trafficking, influence peddling and criminal conspiracy. In a second case, 11 people were charged with arms and ammunition trafficking, counterfeiting and criminal conspiracy on 29 September, following the seizure of a container full of arms and ammunition reportedly belonging to the Episcopal Church of Haiti in July 2022. They have been referred to the Court of First Instance in Port-au-Prince for trial without a jury. 36. The lack of accountability for past serious human rights violations and abuses committed by State agents and gangs remains a major concern. In the emblematic case of the 2018 La Saline massacre, on 23 June, a former Director General of the Ministry of the Interior was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the investigating judge for failing to appear to answer charges against him. Accused of involvement in the La Saline massacre, a former mayor of Port-au-Prince was also heard by the investigating judge on 17 July. As the content of the hearings are not made public, no details have been disclosed. 37. The cases concerning the 2017 Grand Ravine and 2019 Bel Air massacres remained stalled, while the investigation into the assassination of Monferrier Dorval (2020) is in progress under the jurisdiction of a new judge. 38. With regard to the investigation into the assassination in July 2021 of the former President, Jovenel Moïse, in June and October 2023 a number of Haitian citizens appeared before the examining magistrate and were questioned, including former high-ranking officials. Furthermore, on 28 August, 2 of the 18 former members of the Colombian military detained at the National Penitentiary for their alleged involvement in the assassination were questioned by the judge in charge of investigating the case. This was the first hearing held among these detainees since their arrest a few days after the assassination in July 2021. 8/22 23-19354 S/2023/768 Police oversight 39. On 28 and 29 August, BINUH supported a workshop of the General Inspectorate of the Haitian National Police for 60 commanders from the West Department on leadership, command and human rights. Some of the topics addressed related to police ethics and deontology, operation planning and control, human rights due diligence during police operations, and disciplinary and control powers. Support was also provided for investigations into allegations of human rights violations involving police officers. Between 1 July and 22 September, 34 investigations were opened concerning 36 police officers. During the same period, five investigations were concluded, resulting in one dismissal and one suspension. Of the five cases investigated, one was referred to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution. In the previous reporting period, between 15 April and 27 June, 17 investigations were opened involving 19 police officers. Fifteen investigations were concluded, resulting in three dismissals and 15 suspensions. Three of the 15 investigations were sent to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution. Interministerial committee for human rights 40. On 13 September, the interministerial committee for human rights, with the support of BINUH and OHCHR, delivered an awareness-raising session on the committee’s mandate, as well as on the universal periodic review recommendations made to Haiti in February 2022, to 19 local representatives of the State and civil society actors in Gonaïves (Artibonite Department). At the end of the session, the committee designated four focal points, representing the Ministries of Planning and External Cooperation; Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights; Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development; and the General Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Interior, and tasked them with strengthening their institutions’ human rights reporting capacities. VI. Women and peace and security 41. Women continue to promote community-based violence reduction initiatives and foster dialogue. During the reporting period, efforts to put in place a national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) were initiated with the establishment of peace and mediation committees in the West, Centre and Artibonite Departments. BINUH and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) engaged women’s organizations and networks to enhance peace consolidation and mediation efforts and improve participation in the elaboration of public policies to reduce community violence. BINUH and OHCHR supported the women’s commission of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association in holding a symposium on women’s emancipation in the judiciary. Law practitioners attending the event drew up an inventory of the challenges faced by women in legal professions and proposed recommendations to help women strengthen their professional capacities and career paths. 42. In July, UN-Women held 12 consultative meetings on community violence reduction in the West, Artibonite and Centre Departments, which led to the establishment of three networks of women mediators and peacebuilders. Consultations were attended by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights, female political leaders, women’s organizations, 14 interim mayors and former electoral candidates. 23-19354 9/22 S/2023/768 VII. Unemployment, youth and other vulnerable groups Socioeconomic situation 43. The economic and social development of Haiti has been stymied by the lingering political crisis and compounded by armed gang violence, which is fuelling insecurity and fragility. Only 2 per cent of the population spends more than $10 daily. According to the World Bank, the country’s gross monthly income per capita is $119, well below the average of the American continent of $2,458. The year-on-year inflation rate reached 39.8 per cent in July. The main causes of this inflation include the high price of petroleum products and supply problems linked to gang violence on national roads, where commercial operators are often forced to pay heavy tolls to armed gangs for the passage of goods, as well as to adverse weather conditions (see annex 1.2). Since the beginning of 2023, year-on-year inflation has displayed a downward pattern. According to the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information Sciences, this decline can be attributed to, among others, a slowdown in the increase of world prices for necessities, a fall in the exchange rate of the United States dollar on the local market and a slight improvement in the, albeit unstable, availability of petroleum products. 44. The Haitian gourde appreciated against the United States dollar from a peak of 155 gourdes to the dollar in April, the highest in the past decade, to 135 gourdes to the dollar in October. Based on the most recent quarterly report, covering the period from April to June 2023 and published on 24 September 2023 by the Central Bank of Haiti, imports fell by more than 25.3 per cent year-on-year. 45. Customs revenue has steadily increased since 2022, but fell by 1 per cent between April and June 2023 after a significant increase (65.8 per cent) in the previous quarter. The World Bank forecasts gross domestic produce to decline by 2.5 per cent in 2023, marking a fifth consecutive year of output contraction. Social protection and food security 46. Food insecurity in Haiti remains widespread and alarming. The percentage of people in phase 4, “emergency”, on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification scale has increased over the past four years. At the same time, the percentage of people in phase 1, “minimal”, has fallen from 41 to 28 per cent. This shift from lower levels of food insecurity to higher emergency levels of food insecurity is concerning and corresponds to a critical erosion of means of subsistence. According to an analysis published in August, 4.3 million people, or 44 per cent of the population, were experiencing “emergency” levels of acute food insecurity (phases 3 and 4). This represented a decrease of 550,000 people in acute food insecurity compared with the previous analysis, thanks to sustained humanitarian support, better access to fuel and a slight improvement in access to the southern part of the country. This remains a fragile victory, as any disruption to humanitarian support could result in deepening hunger, and classification forecasts for March to June 2024 already expect an increase of the number of people who are acutely food insecure. Households headed by women often have a lower food consumption score compared with that of households headed by men. Survey results also showed that households headed by women spent more income on food and made more food purchases on credit. For single-parent households headed by women, the main source of income is retail trade. These households depend much more on external monetary transfers compared with households headed by men. 47. There is a higher concentration of severe levels of food insecurity in the Grand- Anse Department, as well as in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are providing support to the population in need through emergency 10/22 23-19354 S/2023/768 food assistance coupled with livelihood support, including agricultural inputs and livestock support. 48. Market food prices spiked between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023, with some food prices doubling, rendering some products too expensive for households. Moreover, a significant delay in the start of the rainy season, combined with rainfall deficits throughout the year, has raised fears of lower agricultural production in 2023, resulting in even higher prices. 49. The United Nations continues to support the Government in the development and implementation of the national policy for social protection and promotion and the national action plan to implement it. The policy sets out the Government’s broad guidelines for social protection and promotion between now and 2040, and the action plan refines this approach by prioritizing a limited number of social protection and promotion mechanisms to be implemented over the next three years in part of the national territory. The implementation of the policy is one of the priorities of the Government’s budget for 2023–2024. VIII. Basic social service delivery and resilience Humanitarian needs and access to basic services 50. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated sharply as increased activities by armed gangs in various areas of Port-au-Prince have caused significant population movements. The delivery of basic social services remains significantly disrupted. Gang violence continues to fuel increased forced displacement, and the establishment of spontaneous internally displaced persons sites, many with deplorable conditions, accentuates the criticality of water, sanitation and hygiene needs, and increases pressure on host communities sharing already scarce resources, straining the social fabric. Almost 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, a tenfold increase in two years. Following intensified clashes in the Canaan, Bel-Air, Carrefour Feuilles, Savane Pistache and Solino neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince and Croix-des- Bouquets, 20,719 people were displaced between 5 and 8 September, taking refuge at 26 informal sites. Four of these sites are located in open-air areas where dire living conditions have been exacerbated by heavy rains; 1 site has been set up in a hospital; and 20 have been set up in schools, hampering their reopening for the start of the school year on 11 September. Despite the challenging humanitarian access, the United Nations and international and national partners continue to work with available public institutions to strengthen the response across sectors to address acute water, sanitation and hygiene needs, including through the integration of protection and nutrition interventions and strengthening national and local capacities to respond to sudden- onset crises. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has supported the provision of humanitarian access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and supplies to an estimated 430,600 people since July. 51. As population displacement has intensified, forced repatriations of vulnerable Haitians from neighbouring countries, accompanied by serious human rights violations, have quadrupled compared with the first eight months of 2022. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded the repatriation of 11,552 migrants at various border points throughout September. The majority of migrants were repatriated through the border point in Belladère (8,610). During the reporting period, IOM provided assistance to 1,858 migrants who were repatriated to Haiti. Responding to the increased needs, the six-month humanitarian system-wide scale- up activated on 14 April was extended until 14 October. At the same time, funding is insufficient and humanitarian response costs are increasing, putting at risk the hard- earned gains in humanitarian access to fragile communities. At the time of writing, 23-19354 11/22 S/2023/768 the 2023 humanitarian response plan for Haiti of $720 million had so far received only 28 per cent of its funding requirements. Despite the fact that food security represents 58.3 per cent of the 2023 humanitarian response plan envelope, food security has only been 18 per cent funded and WFP was forced to reduce the number of its targeted beneficiaries for emergency assistance by 25 per cent in June compared with May, due to lack of funding. 52. The second quarter of 2023 was marked by an upward trend in the number of municipalities with humanitarian access constraints, which increased costs for humanitarian operations exponentially. Major constraints include armed gangs, restrictions of movement of the population to access humanitarian goods and services, direct interference in the implementation of humanitarian operations and the degraded state of roads. In Port-au-Prince, 7 of 15 areas assisted are facing severe constraints to humanitarian access, compared with 2 in the first quarter of 2023. In the Artibonite Department, needs grow as gang violence hampers access to health and education services and exacerbates food insecurity, which is further compounded by drought. As of the time of writing, 60 per cent of communes in the Artibonite Department had severe humanitarian access constraints compared with 40 per cent in the first quarter of 2023. Communes where access constraints are the most severe host 45 per cent of the 22,000 internally displaced persons identified by IOM. Nevertheless, missions by United Nations personnel to high-risk areas continued to be conducted, notably in the Artibonite, South-West and West Departments, including Cité Soleil. 53. During the reporting period, most of the 22 major hospitals in the country remained open, including with support from WHO and PAHO, but struggled to function, owing to problems in maintaining electricity and fuel for generators and the lack of medical supplies, but especially due to the departure from the country of skilled health personnel as well as to security risks for those who stay. According to the Haitian Medical Association, as of August, at least 40 medical doctors had been kidnapped since the beginning of 2022. Contrary to humanitarian principles, hospitals continue to be targets of armed attacks. The United Nations and its partners continue to provide critical, life-saving medical supplies, solar power, and water and sanitation supplies to key health facilities accessible to the population, while strengthening services, the national ambulance service and primary care to ensure that health services are available for the population, including for survivors of violence and internally displaced persons, particularly in vulnerable areas. 54. Cases of cholera are declining in the West Department, while control efforts continue in hotspots throughout the country. Since October 2022, 64,576 suspected cases of cholera have been recorded, including 3,941 confirmed cases and 915 deaths. A total of 1,859,771 people in the West, Centre and Artibonite Departments have been vaccinated as of the time of writing, as well as 5,745 people in 9 of 17 prisons, with the remaining 8 prisons targeted for vaccination before the end of 2023. The risk for measles and polio outbreaks remains very high due to interruptions of national vaccination services in recent years and to weak surveillance capacity. The United Nations is supporting the Government and its partners to accelerate vaccination efforts in 2023 to reach unvaccinated children. Displaced persons are particularly vulnerable to physical and mental health problems related to the conditions of their displacement. The United Nations has supported the Government in the establishment of health alert systems to detect health problems, although access to these displaced populations by health and humanitarian workers remains a major challenge owing to the security situation. 55. The return of children to school for the scheduled start of the school year on 11 September commenced in the southern departments. Due to the prevailing security situation, the start of the school year in the capital is likely to be staggered. At least 25 public and private schools, or 225 classrooms, are occupied by families expelled 12/22 23-19354 S/2023/768 from their homes by gang violence in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince (see annex 1.1). In the Artibonite Department (Gonaïves), the Departmental Education Directorate reported that 280 schools (21 per cent) had been affected by gang violence and had not been operational since the 2022/23 academic year. To date, 30 of these schools have been destroyed and 16 have been badly looted. A commission was set up by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to address the issue, and the United Nations is working closely with the Government to identify sustainable, multisectoral solutions. The opening of schools and access to education play a pivotal role in the social cohesion of communities, and for many children, the classroom is the only refuge they have left. In preparation for the start of the school year, UNICEF was distributing 20,815 textbooks and school kits to 20,159 children in the five departments affected by emergencies, namely Artibonite, West, South, Nippes and Grand-Anse. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and local partners, a communication plan to promote children’s access to education, integrating advocacy, social mobilization and local awareness-raising activities, will be implemented throughout the school year. 56. A preliminary survey by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, conducted in the West Department between August and September 2023 and supported by UNICEF, revealed that more than 12,000 children were displaced, including 11,085 pupils. Some 44 per cent of children surveyed were traumatized as a result of gang violence, which included incessant detonations, house fires, witnessing the murder of a loved one and, above all, walking across dead bodies. A total of 473 teachers were also registered among the displaced, 94 per cent of whom were in Port-au-Prince and the vast majority in the commune of Turgeau. IX. Operating environment 57. The area of operations of the mission has been under continued and escalating attacks by armed gangs since the beginning of its mandate. As of the time of writing, the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince (see annex 1.2) is under siege by armed gangs whose shifting alliances and fighting numbers are in continuous flux, as are the urban areas under their control. This violent encroachment stymies freedom of movement along all four main access roads (see annex 1.2) in and out of the capital, where, at best, armed gangs demand payment to allow passage based on the perceived value of the vehicle used and the goods transported. Often, travellers are harassed, beaten, raped, kidnapped or killed. The United Nations has developed some workaround mechanisms to access vulnerable populations in fragile gang-controlled communities. 58. United Nations offices and residences are located within enclosed and secured compounds in the few remaining accessible neighbourhoods of the capital. These areas are progressively shrinking in size as armed gangs gain increasing control of the city. Travel by light passenger vehicles is now limited to a less than 5-kilometre radius surrounding the mission’s headquarters. All other travel is conducted in armoured vehicles, at times with back-up extraction vehicles and armed escorts, and is monitored remotely throughout their itinerary by United Nations security. United Nations security plans require continued updating