(2023-02) The Population of Cité Soleil in the Grip of Gang Violence: Investigative Report on Human Rights Abuses in Brooklyn, July to December 2022
Summary — Joint BINUH-OHCHR investigative report on human rights abuses committed by gangs in the Brooklyn zone of Cité Soleil from July to December 2022, documenting killings, injuries, sexual violence, and the blockade of a besieged population.
Key Findings
- Rival gangs fought for control of the Brooklyn zone of Cité Soleil between July and December 2022, committing killings, injuries, and sexual violence. At least 552 people were killed, injured, or reported missing during the period. Fighting and blockades cut a besieged population off from food, water, and health care. The report documented the collapse of state authority and policing in Cité Soleil.
Full Description
This February 2023 joint investigative report by BINUH and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) documents human rights abuses committed by gangs against the population of the Brooklyn zone of Cité Soleil between July and December 2022. It identifies the gangs and coalitions involved, describes their modus operandi and the weapons used, and reconstructs the pattern of violence during a period in which rival gangs fought for control of the densely populated shantytown. The report records killings, injuries, and cases of sexual violence, and documents how the fighting and blockades cut residents off from food, water, health care, and freedom of movement, trapping a besieged population. It situates the violence in the context of the collapse of state authority and policing in Cité Soleil and the wider surge of gang power across the capital. The report sets out the responsibilities of the Haitian State and issues recommendations to the authorities and international partners on protection, humanitarian access, and accountability for grave abuses.
Notes
Joint BINUH-OHCHR investigative report; recovered from ReliefWeb attachment; ayitistats wave B