Anti-gang operations in Haiti have slowed the expansion of powerful armed groups in Port-au-Prince, a UN expert report said Tuesday, though progress remains uneven. Authorities, backed by drone strikes and self-defence groups, have curbed advances, but gangs continue adapting amid a prolonged security crisis in the country.
Anti-gang operations in Haiti have halted the powerful armed groups’ expansion in the capital, but progress remains uneven and they are adapting, a UN expert report said Tuesday.
The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti has faced a deep security crisis for years, with gangs who control the vast majority of the capital Port-au-Prince committing frequent murders, rapes and kidnappings.
« Intensified security efforts by Haitian authorities, alongside nearly a year of drone strikes enabled by international private contractors, and the actions of self-defence groups, have slowed the advance of gangs in the capital, » according to the report by experts monitoring UN Security Council sanctions in Haiti.
« Security gains remain, however, fragile and risk reversal without sustained pressure, » it continued, noting gangs are adapting to the crackdown.
Gang leaders, many of whom remain at large, « have become more cautious in response to drone threats, avoiding public appearances and social media, » the report said.
Facing pressure in the city center, gangs have been driven « into remote and semi-urban areas, where they have enjoyed relative freedom in their criminal operation. »
This has forced security forces to « redeploy » in new locales, the report said, « undermining their ability to hold recaptured territory in other areas. »
As security operations target gangs’ money-making highway checkpoints, the groups have « tightened their control » over facilities where Haitians collect remittances, the report noted.
Gang members have also extorted civilians while disguised as police, including through kidnappings for ransom.
The report flagged a « significant number of casualties, including among non-gang members » from the security operations, which for the last year have been backed by private military contractors.
A report by UN rights chief Volker Turk published last month said 5,519 people were killed in Haiti between March 2025 and mid-January 2026.
The majority of those deaths — at least 3,497 — were the result of anti-gang operations, though that count includes both civilians and gang members.
« They have leveraged collateral damage from drone strikes…to strengthen their local control, » the report said, including offering financing for medical costs or funerals to civilians affected by the operations.
Gangs have also increased the recruitment of children, the report said, « using them in combat and to shield themselves from law enforcement operations. »
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)