(2025-04) BINUH - Rapò Sekretè Jeneral la

S United Nations /2025/226 Security Council Distr.: General 14 April 2025 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 2743 (2024), by which the Council extended to 15 July 2025 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), in accordance with resolution 2476 (2019) establishing BINUH. The report includes developments since the previous report, dated 13 January 2025 (S/2025/28), and provides an update on the delivery of the BINUH mandate. II. Political issues and good governance Political developments 2. On 7 March, Fritz Jean assumed the role of President of the Transitional Presidential Council. He called for national unity and for progress to be made towards the transitional priorities of strengthening security, fighting corruption, promoting socioeconomic recovery and holding elections in order to enable a transfer of power to elected officials by 7 February 2026. Nonetheless, public criticism of the Transitional Presidential Council continued to build over the lack of security, perceived delays in preparing for elections and unresolved allegations of corruption against three Transitional Presidential Council members. 3. On 29 January, Leslie Voltaire, who was then President of the Transitional Presidential Council, announced an electoral calendar under which a constitutional referendum would be held in May 2025 and general elections would be held in November 2025. By 18 March, however, the electoral authorities and several political parties had begun to question the calendar’s feasibility, citing security challenges that had delayed the publication of the referendum decree. Other stakeholders, including various media representatives, maintained that the management of the electoral calendar is the responsibility of the electoral authorities. In addition, concerns were voiced at the fact that participation in the constitutional reform consultations had been limited owing to the country’s significantly deteriorated security situation. 4. Amid calls for the Transitional Presidential Council to be replaced as head of the executive branch by a Court of Cassation judge, the Eminent Persons Group of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held a meeting on 6 February with Haitian political actors. Fanmi Lavalas, Pitit Desalin, Bureau de Suivi de l’Accord Montana 25-05266 (E) 240425 *2505266* S/2025/226 and representatives of the private sector did not attend the meeting. Contrasting views were voiced at the meeting, ranging from calls for the Transitional Presidential Council to be reconfigured to appeals for the current arrangements to be preserved. 5. On 22 January, Mr. Voltiare met with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro Urrego, in Jacmel, South-East Department, to discuss bilateral cooperation, security and socioeconomic development. Mr. Voltaire met with Pope Francis in Rome on 25 January and with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on 29 January. The President of France reiterated his country’s commitment to mobilizing European partners in support of Haitian-led efforts to fight gangs and in order to sanction those who support them. In addition, he stressed the need for credible and transparent elections. Mr. Voltaire also met with the Secretary-General of the International Organization of La Francophonie, who announced the appointment of a special envoy for Haiti and pledged assistance for the Haitian media throughout the electoral process. 6. At the forty-eighth meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government, which took place from 19 to 21 February in Bridgetown and was attended by the Secretary- General and the President of the European Commission, regional leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing their good offices efforts through the Eminent Persons Group. In addition, they endorsed the proposal to enable the Multinational Security Support Mission with United Nations logistical and operational support (S/2025/122). On 14 March, at a meeting in Charlevoix, Canada, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of Seven reaffirmed their commitment to help restore democracy, security and stability, including through support to the Haitian National Police and the Multinational Security Support Mission, an increased role for the United Nations and support for the creation of a specialized anti-corruption court that complies with the highest international standards. 7. In meetings with the Haitian leadership, BINUH called for sustained efforts to preserve political stability, ensure institutional continuity and uphold good governance principles by fostering cohesion and constructive cooperation among national authorities and sustaining inter-Haitian dialogue to restore security, advance the political process and implement the commitments agreed upon at the high-level meeting on Haiti that CARICOM convened on 11 March 2024 in Kingston. 8. Thousands of residents from several neighbourhoods of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area took to the streets on 19 March and 2 April to protest against the perceived inability of the transitional authorities to implement tangible measures to stop gang violence. On 3 April, one year after the signing of the Accord politique pour une transition pacifique et ordonnée (Political agreement for a peaceful and orderly transition), Mr. Jean addressed the nation and announced a series of measures to bolster security, including a revised budget that would provide national security forces with additional resources. Developments in electoral preparations 9. In the period from 23 January to 11 February, the steering committee of the National Conference for the constitutional review process, supported by BINUH, held consultations across the country’s 10 departments and with the diaspora on the extent of presidential powers, the structure of the executive and legislative branches and the strengthening of anti-corruption mechanisms. The steering committee gathered insights from various sectors of society, including civil society organizations, political parties, youth and women’s groups and universities. The process concluded with a national consultation to produce a revised draft of the constitution for presentation to the national authorities. A total of 46 delegates, including 33 women, from the 2/18 25-05266 S/2025/226 country’s departments participated in the consultation, which was held in Cap-Haïtien on 2 March. 10. On 31 January, a new Executive Director for the Provisional Electoral Council was appointed. On 27 February, the Minister for Electoral and Constitutional Affairs launched a national electoral task force, under the leadership of the Provisional Electoral Council, that brings together the office of the Prime Minister, the National Identification Office, the Haitian National Police and United Nations partners. 11. The Provisional Electoral Council appointed 22 members to 11 department-level electoral offices and 453 members to 151 municipal-level offices, of whom 30 per cent are women. A stock of non-sensitive electoral materials purchased in 2021 and valued at some $3 million was found intact and suitable for use in the upcoming referendum. 12. On 12 March, the Provisional Electoral Council submitted the draft referendum decree to the executive for promulgation. The draft decree provides for special measures to facilitate voting by internally displaced persons and Haitians living abroad. In a media interview on 18 March, the electoral authorities indicated that security challenges made it difficult to hold a referendum in May, as had been previously announced. On 24 and 25 March, the Provisional Electoral Council launched a series of sectoral consultations in Port-au-Prince with more than 70 civil society organizations and political stakeholders to present and discuss preparations for the referendum and general elections. On 28 March, BINUH supported the organization of a civil society forum in Port-au-Prince that brought together 60 youth delegates, including 28 women, to assess the implementation of strategic actions to ensure the effective participation of women and young persons in the transition. III. Security, rule of law and human rights Armed violence 13. A significant increase in violence was reported in the period from December 2024 to February 2025 (see annex). BINUH recorded 2,660 victims of intentional homicides, including 323 women, 19 girls and 55 boys, an increase of 41.3 percent compared with 1,883 victims during the period from September to November 2024. Abductions perpetrated by gangs affected 404 victims, including 118 women, 17 girls and 10 boys, compared with 447 kidnappings recorded over the previous three-month period. 14. In late January, Kenscoff commune (West Department), situated in the hills above Petionville and controlling what had been a relatively safer road to the south of the country, became a hotspot of violence, as gangs infiltrated the area. On 27 January, some 100 armed individuals orchestrated coordinated attacks against six different communities. Specialized police units, supported by the Armed Forces of Haiti and the Multinational Security Support Mission, repelled the initial gang attacks, but they were unable to halt violent assaults over the following three weeks. From 27 January to 27 March, BINUH documented 190 properties set on fire, with at least 262 people killed (115 members of the population and 147 gang members) and 66 others injured (59 members of the population and 7 gang members). Four members of the security forces were killed and another four were injured. 15. Similar attacks were reported in Léogane (West Department) and in Mirebalais and Saut d’Eau (Centre Department). These incidents highlight the efforts of gangs to expand their control beyond the capital. In Léogane, gun fights have resulted in at least 112 people killed (99 men, 11 women and 2 boys) and 14 others injured (12 men, 1 woman and 1 girl). Gangs set fire to a police armoured vehicle in neighbouring 25-05266 3/18 S/2025/226 Gressier and a child was killed in the La Colline neighbourhood (West Department), where two alleged gang members were lynched in a separate incident. In Mirebalais, attackers set fire to multiple properties and stormed private and public buildings, including the local police station. During the assault, they freed 516 inmates from the Mirebalais prison. At least five people were killed during the attack, including one prisoner and two nuns. 16. Across Port-au-Prince, gangs set numerous properties on fire, including schools, churches, businesses and radio and television stations. On 13 February, gangs looted essential medical equipment from State University Hospital, once the largest public hospital in the country, and then set the hospital on fire, resulting in the death of two journalists and one police officer. On 11 February, a student was killed and another injured by stray bullets while in class. Orchestrated gang attacks in Delmas and Tabarre resulted in 72 people killed (58 men, 11 women and 3 boys) and 23 others injured (15 men and 8 women), including 2 Haitian military officers and 1 police officer. In January, a gang in Tabarre attacked a consular vehicle bearing diplomatic plates, killing one woman and wounding six passengers. Between 13 and 16 March, armed gangs carried out coordinated attacks against Radio Télévision Caraïbes, Radio Mélodie FM and Télé Pluriel, three major media outlets in Port-au-Prince. 17. On 18 January, despite increased national police and Multinational Security Support Mission presence in Artibonite Department, gangs killed 13 people (11 men and 2 women), wounded 4 men and set 6 homes on fire in Gros Morne. On 29 January, 11 farmers (8 men and 3 women) were kidnapped in the neighbourhoods of La Verdure and Palmiste. On 12 February, a gang assaulted the Montrouis police station, killing one police officer and wounding three others. On 23 February, a Kenyan police officer with the Multinational Security Support Mission died during an exchange of fire with armed gangs in Ségur and Savien. The police officer killed was the Mission’s first loss. On 25 March, the Mission reported that another Kenyan police officer, initially reported missing, had died following an operation in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite. Police-related developments 18. On 14 January, the Secretary of State for Public Security and former Director General of the Haitian National Police Force, Mario Andrésol, was appointed to oversee ongoing police operations and implement a security strategy approved by the Superior Council of the National Police. His appointment coincided with reported tensions between the Government and the leadership of the Haitian National Police Force. 19. A shortage of specialized anti-gang police units, insufficient equipment, poor working conditions and political interference have caused significant tensions. On 24 February, a police union staged a sit-in in front of the Prime Minister’s office in order to demand more resources and an end to political interference. Against a backdrop of growing public pressure for the authorities to demonstrate that they are taking effective action against gangs, the Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, announced on 1 March that a newly created specialized police task force was engaged in anti-gang operations in lower Delmas. The following day, Haitian media reported that drones capable of dropping explosives on identified targets had been used for the first time. The national police conducted operations against gang strongholds in lower Delmas, Village de Dieu, Torcelle, Bel-Air, Tabarre and Kenscoff in the Port-au- Prince metropolitan area and in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite. 20. On 10 January, the thirty-fourth class of police cadets, comprising 739 cadets, of whom 213 were women, graduated, bringing the police workforce to 12,808 officers, including 1,565 women, a decrease of 44 officers since 1 January. In January 4/18 25-05266 S/2025/226 and February, 13 police officers were killed and another 13 were injured. As part of the 2022–2026 joint programme to support the professionalization of the national police, known as the basket fund, five police facilities are being rehabilitated in West and South Departments and five classrooms are being built at the juvenile rehabilitation centre. Despite security-related delays, as at 31 March, the joint programme had disbursed $14.1 million of the allocated $25 million, a 54.2 per cent implementation rate. In February, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) delivered 59 police vehicles and a bilateral donor delivered a shipment of critical supplies, including vehicles and bulldozers. As at 31 March, the national police possessed 116 armoured vehicles, 17 of which were not operational and 18 of which had been burned by gangs. 21. During the reporting period, 702 people were killed and 352 others injured during anti-gang operations, a 37 per cent increase from the previous reporting period. An estimated 79 per cent of those killed or injured were affiliated with gangs, while 21 per cent were members of the population. There have been reports that national police officers summarily executed 49 suspected gang members who were unarmed and not engaged in violence, as well as individuals who, when arrested, were unable to provide identification. From January to March, the Inspectorate General of the Haitian National Police opened 22 investigations into 13 officers. Those investigations, which were triggered by the information-sharing mechanism of the Inspectorate General, BINUH and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), include nine cases of alleged human rights violations, as well as ongoing investigations into alleged extrajudicial executions primarily involving specialized police units. Six previously opened investigations were finalized, as a result of which it was recommended that three police officers be dismissed and four others placed on unpaid leave. As at April, those recommendations had not been implemented. Two of the cases were referred for prosecution. 22. Minimal progress has been made in the police vetting process since its launch in June 2023. With 923 police officers and administrative personnel from the entire force identified for vetting, only six background checks have been conducted. Following the endorsement of the new standard operating procedure for the implementation of the human rights due diligence policy on United Nations support to non-United Nations security forces, a United Nations-wide task force was established to review risk assessments conducted by BINUH and United Nations agencies supporting non-United Nations security forces. 23. BINUH continued to provide strategic advice to the directorates of the national police with regard to operational efficiency, institutional development and intelligence-gathering. Although the national police leadership was unable to participate in those activities owing to its direct involvement in day-to-day operations, BINUH engaged in weekly exchanges with the Director General a.i. of the National Police Force and the Commander of the Multinational Security Support Mission. 24. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) delivered 12 patrol vehicles and 19 motorcycles and a package of tactical gear consisting of 325 pairs of kneepads, shin guards and boots to the border police. A three-week training programme to establish a control unit in Ouanaminthe (North-East Department) was delivered to officers from the anti-drug unit, the border police and customs service. The training was focused on the legal frameworks relevant to transnational organized crime, effective profiling techniques, cargo inspection procedures and the use of handheld scanners. Similar training was given at the port and international airport of Cap-Haïtien in November. 25-05266 5/18 S/2025/226 Justice, impunity and corruption 25. On 19 February, the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal dismissed the judicial summons issued for three members of the Transitional Presidential Council (Smith Augustin, Louis Gérald Gilles and Emmanuel Vertilaire), ruling that they, in their capacities as members of a presidential council, enjoy immunity and therefore cannot be prosecuted under standard judicial procedures. 26. The Prime Minister, Mr. Fils-Aimé, met with members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary on 16 January to discuss judicial independence, the work of the courts and the operationalization of new courts. The President of the Transitional Presidential Council, Mr. Jean, met with the Superior Council of the Judiciary on 14 March and had similar discussions. A new Technical Secretary of the Superior Council was appointed on 28 January, and the Minister of Justice and Public Security made changes to the heads of offices of the public prosecutor, including in Port-au- Prince, Croix-des-Bouquets, Cap-Haïtien and Jacmel. 27. As the result of an investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Unit, the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance placed a number of high-ranking officials under investigation. On 7 February, the court ordered that the former Director General of the National Pension Insurance Office be detained for alleged abuse of office. That case came shortly after the detention of a former coordinator of the National School Feeding Programme, who was prosecuted for illegal awarding of contracts and illicit enrichment. On 17 February, a warrant to appear, a travel ban and asset freeze were issued for a former Minister of Planning and External Cooperation for suspected false declaration of assets and illicit enrichment. In addition, the Anti-Corruption Unit has issued a warrant to appear for a former ombudsperson as part of an investigation into alleged illegal public procurement, abuse of office and misappropriation of public property. 28. No progress has been in some high-profile cases, including the mass killings in Grand Ravine, Bel Air and La Saline and the murder of the President of the Port-au- Prince Bar Association, Monferrier Dorval. The investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse continued in the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal. In January, February and March, the indicted individuals, including 17 former Colombian military police officers, a former justice official and security officers were summoned to court. In January, Prophane Victor, a former Member of Parliament, was arrested in Port-au-Prince on charges of criminal association, murder, complicity in murder and arms and ammunitions trafficking. Mr. Victor had been added on 27 September 2024 to the list of sanctioned individuals and entities maintained by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti for arming individuals in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite in order to influence the outcome of the 2016 elections, an action that led to the formation of the Gran Grif gang. 29. The Anti-Corruption Unit and the Centre de Formation et de Perfectionnement des Agents de la Fonction Publique, with United Nations support, organized a two- day training session in Port-au-Prince on integrity in the public sector for 99 participants (including 28 women), provided digital training for 67 Anti-Corruption Task Force members (including 19 women) and hosted a conference on governance and the impact of corruption on gender for 113 participants (including 28 women). In March, BINUH and OHCHR conducted a two-day train-the-trainers session on social auditing for 26 participants (including 9 women) in eight departmental offices of the national ombudsperson and the Anti-Corruption Unit. Following the launch on 18 February of a committee for developing a national anti-corruption strategy, BINUH supported a working session of the committee in order to strengthen the anti-corruption framework of Haiti. 6/18 25-05266 S/2025/226 30. On 10 February, the President of the Transitional Presidential Council, Mr. Voltaire, issued a statement calling for all individuals involved in and who support gang violence to be held accountable. In addition, he instructed the Prime Minister to gather and examine all available evidence against persons under United Nations and bilateral sanctions for their alleged role in destabilizing the country. On 23 February, the Prime Minister stated on social media that “Haiti needs economic development and security, not corruption and cronyism”. 31. With BINUH support, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a model court for gender-based violence cases in Cap-Haïtien on 13 March. The launch event was attended by 92 persons. In addition, UNDP provided logistical support for the training of legal clerks at the School for the Judiciary for 15 participants from 17 to 27 March. Following a joint visit by BINUH and OHCHR to the courts of Les Cayes (South Department) and Jérémie (Grand-Anse Department), on 25 February, the Ministry of Justice issued directives requiring the public prosecutors of the country’s 18 courts to conduct weekly visits to prisons and police station jails, with a view to reducing pretrial detention, and to report their findings to the Ministry. Corrections 32. Prison security operations are being severely affected by growing staff attrition. There are 716 prison security guards staffing the 14 working prisons, with a ratio of 11 prisoners per guard. BINUH, in collaboration with the prison administration, is actively seeking solutions to address chronic and severe overcrowding and is exploring the possibility of establishing a new high-security prison and rehabilitating a facility for women. As at 2 April, the prison population stood at 7,045 inmates, including 403 women, 223 boys and 21 girls. Of that number, 5,809 (82 per cent) are in prolonged pretrial detention, while 1,236 have been convicted. The prison occupancy rate is 281 per cent, affording approximately 0.34 m² of floor space for each inmate. 33. In February, the national authorities decentralized food supply operations, giving departmental prison directors greater autonomy to ensure timely deliveries. In Les Cayes prison, a non-governmental organization (NGO) launched a month-long project in February to improve inmate nutrition by supplying fresh produce. As a result, prison mortality declined, with 20 deaths recorded from January to March, compared with 29 over the same period in 2024. 34. On 31 March, a large-scale attack by gangs in Mirebalais (Centre Department) facilitated the escape of 516 prisoners. Among the escapees were 451 pre-trial detainees (including 27 women and 14 boys) and 65 convicts (including 1 woman and 1 one boy). According to the prison administration, no injuries or fatalities among prison staff were reported, but one prisoner died during the escape and some prison cells and offices were set on fire by the gangs. 35. The Haitian prison system relies heavily on international aid for healthcare, provisioning of food, social rehabilitation, reconstruction, staff training and equipment. The prison administration is working to address the funding gaps. Community violence reduction 36. With BINUH support, the inter-institutional task force on disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and community violence reduction held its thirty- second plenary session on 23 January, bringing together 73 participants, including 20 women. The discussions were focused on gang violence, international best practices and lessons learned and the development of mapping tools and information systems. A peace pedagogy strategy is being developed on the basis of an exchange of experiences with a Colombian academic institution. 25-05266 7/18 S/2025/226 37. The draft law on weapons and ammunition, which is harmonized with regional and international standards and was prepared with BINUH support, remains under review by the Government amid reports that vigilante or so-called self-defence groups are using illegal high-calibre firearms and improvised weapons. 38. On 21 February, the national authorities appointed seven new members to the National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantlement and Reintegration. On 7 March, the incoming President of the Transitional Presidential Council, at his inauguration, reiterated the importance of strengthening the National Commission. On 10 March, he formally tasked the National Commission with supporting the reintegration of children and youth in conflict with the law. 39. United Nations agencies and an international NGO launched a joint project funded by the Peacebuilding Fund that integrates peace and civic engagement into basic school curricula. From 11 to 21 February, 70 education specialists and civil society actors worked with United Nations experts to develop a citizenship education training programme for public and private schools designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge that they need to become active, responsible citizens. National human rights institutions and civil society organizations 40. BINUH and OHCHR supported the national ombudsperson’s office in organizing a workshop on improving the coordination of the protection response for internally displaced persons living in makeshift sites across Port-au-Prince. The workshop was attended by representatives from internally displaced persons sites, United Nations agencies, NGOs and State institutions. With technical and financial support from BINUH and OHCHR, a round table and a conference were organized on 27 February and 26 March, respectively, to strengthen dialogue between national security forces and human rights organizations. 41. BINUH and OHCHR launched a three-month training programme for 28 persons (17 men and 11 women) from 24 civil society organizations and human rights institutions aimed at enhancing participants’ capacity to effectively monitor, document, investigate, report, deal with and address human rights violations. BINUH and OHCHR, in collaboration with two Haitian civil society organizations, launched the Peace Clubs initiative for 495 students (238 boys and 257 girls) in 18 high schools across 8 of the country’s 10 departments. The initiative is aimed at empowering students to counter violence through human rights and will continue throughout the 2025 school year. 42. In March, the designated expert on human rights in Haiti visited Port-au-Prince, where he met with the authorities, civil society representatives and victims of abuse and visited a detention centre for minors. During his visit, he stressed that he was concerned at the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation and called upon the Haitian authorities to be guided by the principles of unity and solidarity and to fight corruption and impunity. He also urged the international community to act without delay and to implement the commitments it had made, in particular with regard to the sanctions regime and the arms embargo. IV. Multinational Security Support Mission coordination 43. In January and February, the Multinational Security Support Mission received additional equipment, including three helicopters, an aeromedical evacuation team from El Salvador and armoured vehicles and personnel from El Salvador, Guatemala and Kenya, increasing its strength to approximately 998 officers, or 40 per cent of its planned complement of 2,500 personnel. 8/18 25-05266 S/2025/226 44. The complaint and reporting mechanism of the Multinational Security Support Mission, developed with the support of OHCHR, was rolled out in January 2025. The standard operating procedure for the mechanism outlines protocols, procedures, roles and responsibilities with regard to receiving, processing, handling and responding to complaints of alleged misconduct and other grievances. In January, 28 civil society focal points (17 men and 11 women) received training on the complaint and reporting mechanism. OHCHR also provided technical support to the Mission in the development of a standard operating procedure for running a board of inquiry, outlining procedures for conducting fact-finding missions and determining appropriate administrative and disciplinary actions. 45. In the period from January to March 2025, a United Nations team facilitated three in-mission training sessions, which were attended by 144 Multinational Security Support Mission personnel, including 13 women from El Salvador, Guatemala and Kenya, on human rights compliance, the use of force, protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, the handling of children associated with gangs and humanitarian principles. 46. As part of its human rights monitoring and investigation mandate, BINUH, in cooperation with OHCHR, monitored 16 anti-gang operations conducted by security forces with Multinational Security Support Mission support. The findings were shared and discussed with Mission leadership through a review mechanism established by OHCHR and the Mission. V. Women and peace and security 47. As part of its efforts to advocate for the needs of women and girls, BINUH gave a briefing to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee in which it highlighted the sexual and gender-based violence crisis being exacerbated by gang violence, political instability and inadequate State services. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and OHCHR gave a briefing to the informal expert group on the protection of civilians of the Security Council in which it emphasized how armed gangs weaponize sexual violence as a tool of terror, control and intimidation. 48. From October 2024 to February 2025, a total of 347 incidents involving 379 survivors (315 women, 63 girls and 1 man) were recorded under the arrangements developed by BINUH for the monitoring, analysis and reporting of conflict-related sexual violence. Collective rape was the most common violation (61 per cent), followed by rape (34 per cent). The sharp increase in the number of collective rape cases recorded, up from 21 per cent during the previous reporting period, is indicative of both increased gang violence and improved coordination and information-sharing among United Nations actors and partners. In January and February, humanitarian actors reported 1,263 sexual and gender-based violence incidents. Rape accounted for 52 per cent of those cases, with women and girls constituting the majority of victims (91 per cent). 49. The United Nations country team and partners continued to support survivors by providing safe havens, shelter, medical care and essential items. In the period from January to March, the United Nations Population Fund and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs mapped service providers involved in addressing sexual and gender-based violence, in order to improve referrals. Five women’s rights awareness-raising sessions and mobile clinics were organized by IOM for survivors in host communities and at internally displaced persons sites. According to a survey conducted in February, it is estimated that more than 750,000 people in need (70 per cent of whom are women and girls) are unable to benefit from services for survivors of gender-based violence owing to reduced international funding. 25-05266 9/18 S/2025/226 50. BINUH and OHCHR continued to work directly with the national police to improve the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence. BINUH, OHCHR and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women developed a guide, available in French and Creole, and finalized a communication strategy, developed with the police, aimed at informing the public and encouraging the reporting of sexual violence. In February, a UNODC specialist in trafficking in persons was deployed to build the capacity of the police and judiciary. In January and February, investigating judges in 11 jurisdictions considered 114 rape cases, 39 of which were referred to the relevant prosecutor’s office and 1 of which was referred to the Juvenile Court. 51. BINUH, UNDP and Quisqueya University trained 85 women in peacebuilding and provided psychological support to 95 survivors. In total, the initiative benefited 860 people in total, including 100 community leaders, engaged 600 residents in violence prevention and provided trauma counselling for 600 children. In February, BINUH participated in a conference convened by local organizations to promote the inclusion of marginalized groups. VI. Unemployment, youth and other vulnerable groups 52. The prospects for economic recovery in Haiti in 2025 remain constrained by entrenched security challenges, which continue to disrupt supply chains across the country, weaken logistics and dampen economic activity. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean projects that the country’s gross domestic product will decline by 0.5 per cent in 2025, while the Economist Intelligence Unit expects a deeper decline of 2 per cent. Although the relevant data have not been updated since May 2024, the cumulative impact of the security and economic crisis on the traditional women vendors known as Madan Sara is likely to remain significant. Despite those challenges, cocoa exports, which reached 25 million tons in 2024, are projected to increase slightly in 2025. These exports benefit 3,000 fair- trade certified producers and sustain a critical segment of rural livelihoods. 53. Revisions to the 2024–2025 national budget are being finalized. Although the authorities announced that law enforcement expenditures would increase, approximately 40 per cent of the budget should remain allocated to vulnerable groups, such as internally displaced persons and deportees. The budget is also expected to include increased allocations for teachers’ pay. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its governance diagnostic report for Haiti, draws attention to systemic governance weaknesses, in particular in financial sector oversight and fiscal governance. Corruption in customs administration is one of the key areas of concern. According to IMF, there is 50 per cent discrepancy between the value of goods formally exported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti and the value declared by Haiti of goods imported from the Dominican Republic. 54. On 5 March, the Board of Directors of the World Bank Group endorsed a new strategic partnership for Haiti that includes a $320 million plan for the period 2025 – 2029 aimed at laying the foundation for economic and social recovery. Investments will be directed at high-poverty areas with limited access to basic services. The Board of Directors also approved a $60 million grant to strengthen public financial management. Under the strategic partnership plan, the International Finance Corporation is expected to help foster an enabling business environment and promote economic inclusion. 55. Partners are intensifying coordination on preparations for recovery efforts. Building on the interactive methodology developed for the 2021–2024 rapid crisis impact assessment, the Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations, European 10/18 25-05266 S/2025/226 Union and World Bank are providing technical support for the formulation of a medium- to long-term response plan. The aim of this exercise is to establish bridges through the development of a comprehensive economic recovery framework in the context of the UNDP national human development report. UNDP deployed 40 experts to support various government structures, while the International Labour Organization (ILO) is providing technical expertise to support the development of employment-intensive programme guidelines aligned with decent work standards. 56. Despite prevailing uncertainties, the Better Work Haiti programme, implemented by ILO and the International Finance Corporation, continues to strengthen the garment sector and improve labour conditions and workers’ rights. More than 1,700 displaced workers have received $1 million in severance pay, providing them critical financial relief. In addition, the programme introduced a sector-wide gender-based violence and harassment policy and trained 1,713 workers on labour rights and gender-related issues. Lobbying efforts are under way in the Congress of the United States of America in support of the extension of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act, with a view to sustaining employment in the textile sector in Haiti through the extension of trade preferences that would potentially allow Haitian-made textiles and apparel to be imported into the United States duty free, bearing in mind evolving global trade patterns. 57. The UNDP gender strategy for Haiti was finalized and more than 800 changemakers attended a women’s leadership forum. The participants in the forum issued a declaration in which they called for achieving full gender parity in government, a level that exceeds the constitutional requirement for women to hold 30 per cent of government posts. In acknowledgement of the role of young people in the recovery of Haiti, the Kenari Annual Summit 2025 brought together nearly 1,000 young leaders to discuss digital and economic transformation, with an emphasis on financial technology (fintech), financial inclusion and entrepreneurship. Social protection and food security 58. IOM estimates indicate that, in February 2025 alone, Haiti had received 18,500 deportees from the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, there continue to be more than 1 million internally displaced persons in the country. The impact of supply chain disruptions and the weakening of the agricultural sector is expected to be reflected in the next food security assessment conducted by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative. Preliminary estimates for the period March to June 2025 indicate that 48 per cent of the population will remain food insecure, with nearly 6,000 people, mainly those who are in camps for displaced persons, in phase 5 (catastrophe) of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Throughout the country, half of female headed households are in phase 3 (acute food insecurity) and have had to go into debt to survive. In the face of those challenges, the PROFIT project of ILO and the World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting cacao and breadfruit value chains. Under the project, 7,000 small-scale farmers, 43 per cent of whom are women, have been georeferenced and support has been provided to 64 mutual benefit societies through solidarity-based mechanisms, with each member contributing to a shared fund. 59. Owing to the protracted insecurity affecting the country, 39 per cent of healthcare facilities in Port-au-Prince remain closed, severely restricting medical access, in particular for vulnerable groups. The education sector continues to be severely affected by escalating violence. As at 31 January 2025, 959 schools in West and Artibonite Departments were closed, affecting 163,000 students and 4,529 teachers. When compared with the situation in July 2024, the number of schools closed had increased by 40, the number of students affected had increased by 7,000 25-05266 11/18 S/2025/226 and the number of teachers affected had increased by 212. Also in July 2024, armed groups destroyed 47 schools in the West Department, adding to the 233 schools that had already been destroyed in 2024 and depriving nearly 56,000 pupils of education. Efforts by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners to rehabilitate schools remain underfunded. 60. Scaled-up efforts by ILO and WFP across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus have increased the volume of breadfruit flour produced for school meals. UNOPS is rehabilitating 50 ha of farmland, creating 6,000 worker-days by employing 1,500 members of the community, 55 per cent of whom are women. It is also implementing infrastructure projects in Artibonite and Centre Departments. 61. As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen protection from sexual exploitation and abuse through a series of workshops supported by European Union funding, the United Nations is implementing a capacity-building initiative for the Directorate General for Civil Protection. The initiative includes a training-of-trainers component that is aimed at aligning the approach to assistance of the Directorate General with protection from sexual exploitation and abuse standards and at improving the protection of displaced people living in internally displaced persons sites. VII. Humanitarian needs and access to basic services 62. The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was launched on 25 February. The $908 million plan is aimed at providing life-saving aid, protection and livelihood support to 3.9 million vulnerable people. An estimated 3 million people received some form of assistance under the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. That assistance, however, was far from being sufficient to meet their needs. As at the end of 2024, only $296 million (44 per cent) of the funding required for the 2024 plan had been secured, limiting aid delivery amid worsening security conditions and rising operational costs. 63. Haiti now faces an unprecedented displacement crisis. As at January 2025, there were more than 1 million displaced persons, a threefold increase compared with 2024. In Port-au-Prince, displacement surged by 87 per cent, with 43 per cent of internally displaced persons in the capital sheltering in schools, while 33 per cent remain in open-air areas, exposed to protection risks and extreme weather. In departments other than West and Artibonite, 99 per cent of internally displaced persons reside among host communities. 64. There is a heightened risk of gender-based violence at displacement sites owing to inadequate lighting, distant water points and the lack of gender-sensitive infrastructure. Gender-based violence response efforts remain severely underfunded. Only 24.5 per cent of the funds requested for that purpose were received in 2024, limiting access to essential services and referral mechanisms. In 2024, a total of 6,488 gender-based violence incidents were reported, of which 64 per cent involved sexual violence. As at December 2024, 33,151 people had received gender-based violence- related assistance. The interventions were focused on prevention, risk mitigation and the provision of services, such as medical care and psychosocial support, and temporary shelter. In addition, 117 vulnerable individuals received socioeconomic or educational reintegration kits, 50 people received cash transfers and 73 children received dignity kits. Awareness-raising campaigns on gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse prevention reached over 7,000 people. 65. The deterioration of humanitarian conditions has led to an increase in outbreaks of cholera in Saint-Michel-de-l’Attalaye and Dessalines (Artibonite Department) and a resurgence of cases in Cité Soleil and other affected areas of West Department. 12/18 25-05266 S/2025/226 Those outbreaks were compounded by severe weather and flooding across eight departments. As part of the response to the outbreaks, 699,950 people gained access to safe drinking water, 204,788 benefited from sanitation services and 209,943 received hygiene and cholera prevention kits and attended hygiene awareness sessions. In addition, the Pan American Health Organization supported cholera vaccination campaigns in Artibonite Department from 16 to 22 December 2024 and from 12 to 18 February 2025, reaching a total of 227,536 people. 66. More than 118,000 children benefited from psychosocial support and mental health activities in 2024, while 445 unaccompanied and separated children received alternative care or were reunified with family, bringing the total number of such children to 2,253. Through case management, 218 children received comprehensive support services, while 30 children formerly associated with armed groups continued to benefit from psychosocial assistance pending reintegration. Awareness-raising campaigns on child protection in emergencies, including on the prevention of recruitment and use of children by armed groups, reached 142,023 people in 2024. 67. In February, UNICEF conducted a workshop on preventing the recruitment of children and the reintegration of children associated with armed groups. Although precise data on child trafficking and gang exploitation is unavailable owing to security concerns and other challenges that impede data collection, the Institute of Social Welfare and Research continued to sound the alarm about this issue, including with respect to the vulnerability of affected children and the lack of adequate intervention measures. 68. Despite the deteriorated security situation, the access monitoring and reporting framework recorded a decline in violent incidents affecting humanitarian delivery, with 172 occurrences in January and February 2025, compared with 257 in January and February 2024. This decline suggests that coordinated dialogue based on humanitarian principles with all stakeholders has been effective in ensuring access to the population in need across the country. 69. The closure on 11 November of Port-au-Prince airport has affected humanitarian operations, halting commercial flights and further isolating affected populations. The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service resumed operations on 20 November, becoming the sole provider of air transportation for humanitarian personnel and life- saving assistance. The World Food Programme (WFP) urgently requires $7 million in order to sustain these operations beyond mid-May 2025. Without that funding, there is a risk that United Nations Humanitarian Air Service operations might be halted, jeopardizing the timely delivery of aid and personnel at a time when humanitarian needs continue to increase. VIII. Operating environment 70. Commercial flights into Port-au-Prince international airport remain suspended following the issuance of a flight ban by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States. That flight ban continues to limit the movement of BINUH personnel into and out of Port-au-Prince. The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service provides some movement of personnel capacity between Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince, but it will need to continue to secure voluntary funding in order to maintain operations. In view of the assessed extraction capacity by air and the security assets available, the United Nations footprint in Port-au-Prince has been reduced to a ceiling of 133 personnel. Within that ceiling, BINUH maintains a skeleton team of 17 international personnel and 42 national personnel on the ground, while other personnel work remotely. 71. Gang violence continues to disrupt critical services on which BINUH depends. The capacity of the natio