Haiti Appeals at UN: Gangs, Famine Push Nation to Brink
Haitian leader begs UN for urgent aid against gang apocalypse.
In a heart-wrenching plea that echoed through the halls of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Laurent Saint-Cyr, head of Haiti's transitional presidential council, declared his nation locked in an all-out war against marauding gangs and crippling famine. Speaking on Thursday, September 26, 2025, Saint-Cyr painted a vivid picture of a country teetering on the brink, just a short flight from global powerhouses, where daily life has devolved into a brutal fight for survival. "Every day, innocent lives are extinguished. Entire neighborhoods are disappearing," he lamented, urging the international community to act before it's too late.
Haiti's crisis, a toxic brew of gang warfare, vigilantism, and police skirmishes, has claimed over 3,100 lives from January to June alone, with another 1,189 wounded, according to United Nations estimates. The violence has uprooted more than 1.3 million people in recent years, forcing families into makeshift camps and abandoned shells of their former homes. Hunger stalks the land, with over half of Haiti's 12 million residents—more than 6 million souls—facing acute food insecurity through the first half of 2025. This isn't just statistics; it's a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in real time, where basic needs like food, shelter, and safety are luxuries few can afford.
Take Kettia Jean Charles, a 34-year-old mother of three from Port-au-Prince's Delmas 31 district, whose story embodies the relentless grind of displacement. Once a thriving beauty salon owner in the now-ghostly Solino neighborhood, Charles fled gang incursions last November that stripped the area bare—looting shops, ripping out wiring, smashing toilets, and leaving homes pocked with bullet holes and charred ruins. "I used to sleep in a bed, had my own business, and my children went to school. Now, I am living this catastrophic life," she shared, her voice cracking with exhaustion. Seven months pregnant but uncertain of the exact timeline amid the chaos, Charles huddles with her family under a tarp roof held up by four plastic sheets. Relatives chip in what they can, and the shelter's meager food scraps are a daily battleground. "I am asking for help so I can get out of this situation," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Since I have come here, it has been very humiliating because I have no money, so I have to beg." Her dream? Simply to escape the camp, send her kids back to school, and watch them build futures in a society that feels increasingly out of reach.
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The roots of this turmoil run deep, exacerbated by political instability following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, which created a power vacuum exploited by heavily armed gangs controlling up to 80% of the capital. These criminal networks, fueled by arms smuggling and extortion rackets, have turned bustling districts into no-go zones, shutting down schools, hospitals, and ports—choking off vital supplies and inflating prices for essentials. Vigilante groups have emerged in response, but their clashes with gangs and police only amplify the bloodshed, turning streets into war zones.
International efforts, while well-intentioned, have fallen woefully short. A UN-backed mission spearheaded by Kenyan police, launched last year to bolster Haiti's overwhelmed 10,000-strong force, has deployed fewer than 1,000 officers—barely 40% of the target 2,500. Its trust fund sits at a paltry $112 million, just 14% of the $800 million annual requirement. Saint-Cyr, echoing calls from the U.S. and Panama, is pushing the UN Security Council to greenlight a robust new multinational force of 5,550 troops, equipped with clear mandates, ample logistics, and sustainable funding. "It is crucial to mobilize a strong force," he emphasized, warning that half-measures are prolonging the agony.
As the world grapples with its own conflicts—from Ukraine to the Middle East—Haiti's silent scream risks fading into the background. Yet experts warn that unchecked gang dominance could destabilize the entire Caribbean, spurring migration waves and transnational crime. Aid organizations like the World Food Programme and UNICEF are stretched thin, distributing emergency rations and medical kits, but without security, deliveries often become targets. Local voices, from displaced families to frontline police, echo Saint-Cyr's urgency: This is a war for Haiti's soul, and the global community holds the power to tip the scales toward dignity and hope.
