PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Thousands of Haitians have been forced from their homes as gang violence intensifies in and around the capital, Port-au-Prince, deepening one of the world’s most severe displacement crises.
Recent clashes between armed groups have pushed families to flee neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the capital, with many seeking shelter in police stations, churches, schools and makeshift camps. The latest wave of violence follows months of worsening insecurity that has left large areas of Port-au-Prince under gang control and weakened access to food, healthcare and basic services.
The United Nations migration agency has warned that displacement in Haiti has reached record levels, with about 1.4 million people uprooted by violence and instability. Earlier UN data showed that more than half of those displaced are children, underlining the heavy toll the crisis is taking on families.
The violence has also spread beyond the capital. In the Artibonite region, one of Haiti’s key agricultural areas, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 4,400 people were displaced following recent attacks as of May 15. The expansion of gang activity into rural and farming communities has raised fears of further disruption to food production and supply routes.
Residents fleeing the latest attacks say they left with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Many displaced families are staying in overcrowded shelters where clean water, sanitation and medical care are limited. Aid groups say schools, churches and sports facilities in and around Port-au-Prince have increasingly been converted into emergency shelters as formal support systems struggle to cope.
Human rights monitors say the crisis has been marked by killings, kidnappings, sexual violence and the recruitment of children by armed groups. The UN human rights office reported that more than 1,600 people were killed in Haiti in the first quarter of 2026, describing the security situation as extremely worrying.
International efforts to restore security have so far produced limited results. A Kenya-led multinational security mission, backed by the United Nations, has struggled with funding, staffing and operational challenges, while gangs remain entrenched in key areas. A new international security initiative is now being discussed, but many Haitians remain sceptical that outside intervention alone can restore order.
For displaced families, the immediate concern is survival. With violence spreading, shelters overcrowded and humanitarian funding stretched, aid agencies warn that Haiti’s displacement crisis could worsen unless security improves and emergency assistance reaches affected communities quickly.
