Gangs now control about 80 percent Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Since their aggressive takeover on Feb. 29, civilians have feared for their lives as they face violence and death. Many civilians have been killed and thousands have been left homeless.
On Monday, gangs attacked two upscale neighborhoods in a rampage that left at least a dozen people dead in surrounding areas. Gunmen looted homes in the communities of Laboule and Thomassin before sunrise, forcing residents to flee.
According to an AP report, these attacks "raised concerns that gang violence would not cease despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry announcing nearly a week ago that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created, a move that gangs had been demanding".
Gang leaders have long opposed Henry, claiming that he was never elected by the people. They also blame him for the poverty crisis prevalent across the country. However, critics of the gangs accuse them of trying to seize power for themselves or for other unelected Haitian politicians.
Henry's agreement to resign came amid pressure from both the international community and gang leaders, who warned of civil war if he did not step down.
However, Henry's surrender has done little to satisfy the gangs, who have promised to oppose any outside intervention in Haiti's affairs. That includes an effort backed by the United Nations to send a multinational armed force, led by Kenya, to Haiti to help the national police respond to the widespread violence and unrest.
The U.S. has encouraged a UN-led operation to restore order in Haiti, but has declined to take the lead in such a mission. In addition, Kenya and a number of Caribbean countries have offered to deploy security forces to Haiti.
Part of the problem, according to experts, is that Haitian armed groups have grown more autonomous, and force alone will not resolve the growing security crisis.
Approximately 200 armed gangs exist in Haiti, about half of which are located in Port-au-Prince, where there are two major gang coalitions.
The first -- the G9 -- is led by Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, a former Haitian police officer who is under UN and United States sanctions for his involvement in Haiti's violence.
The second is GPep, led by Gabriel Jean-Pierre, also known as Ti Gabriel. Both gangs have been rivals for years, battling for control of neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince. And both groups have been accused of war crimes, including mass killings and sexual violence across Haiti.
Since 2022, attacks and gang violence has surged and the number of Haitians facing acute food insecurity has tripled since 2016, according to the United Nations World Food Program.
What this means is that most of Haiti's population of approximately 11 million faces immediate danger. With 4.3 million children - 1.2 million of whom are under five years old - Haiti faces an overwhelming crisis that could see mass migration, starvation, or even death.
Even in June 2023, months before the violence exploded, UNICEF warned of an impending disaster.
According to UNICEF, "Nearly 3 million children - the highest number on record - need humanitarian support in Haiti, where they face staggering levels of violence that have exacerbated hunger and malnutrition in a country already mired in poverty and a resurgence of cholera."
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