John AdoyiThe United Nations has issued a grave warning that Haiti is teetering on the edge of total state collapse, as gang violence continues to spiral out of control.
Despite the deployment of a Kenya-led multinational security force, UN officials say efforts to stabilise the country have so far made little progress.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelGhada Fathy Waly, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), told the UN Security Council that an estimated 90% of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, is now under the control of armed criminal groups. These gangs, she said, are expanding their influence beyond surrounding areas into regions previously considered safe.
“The gangs are consolidating power, establishing parallel governance structures, and even providing basic public services,” Waly said. “Even more disturbing are new allegations of trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal,” she added, citing reports involving a medical facility in Pétion-Ville and a hospital in northern Haiti.
Echoing the warning, Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, described the situation as one of “sharp erosion of state authority and the rule of law.”
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“Brutal gang violence affects every aspect of public and private life,” Jenča said. “Despite their best efforts, local police and the Kenya-led multinational support mission have been unable to restore state authority.”
Jenča warned that without urgent and increased international action, “the total collapse of state presence in the capital could become a very real scenario.”
He pointed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s proposal to establish a dedicated UN mission to provide logistical backing to the Kenyan force, stressing that “the options we have on the table now will be considerably less costly and complex than if there is a total collapse of state presence.”
Haiti’s crisis deepened last year when armed gangs prevented former Prime Minister Ariel Henry from re-entering the country, ultimately forcing him into exile. His government collapsed, and a transitional council was formed, which has since struggled to assert control or bring calm to the nation.
As violence surges and state institutions unravel, millions of Haitians are caught in a worsening humanitarian crisis. UN officials have warned that time is running out to prevent a complete breakdown of law, governance, and public order.
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