Haiti Declares Emergency Amid Devastating Central Region Gang Violence

Haiti’s government announced a three-month state of emergency in the West, Artibonite, and Center departments to fight surging gang violence and tackle an agricultural and food crisis. In the Artibonite region, gangs have killed farmers, razed fields, and displaced over 239,000 people. UN reports indicate that between October 2024 and June 2025, more than 1,000 were killed, over 200 were injured, and 620 were kidnapped. The government appointed André Jonas Vladimir Paraison as interim national police director, working with a UN-backed Kenyan force, while Laurent Saint-Cyr leads the transitional council charged with preparing elections by February 2026.

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https://apnews.com/article/haiti-state-of-emergency-gangs-west-artibonite-5afeb9b859928436eaf4c362fbb91489