Gangs Control 90% of the Capital

Haiti is facing "one of the most severe and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere," a senior UN official warned on April 10. Edem Wosurnu, Director of OCHA's Crisis Response Division, delivered the stark assessment at a press briefing following her field mission to Haiti in March 2026.

Armed gangs now control 90% of Port-au-Prince, and in the Centre Department, a recent wave of violence left some 80 people dead and forced 13,000 to flee. Wosurnu noted the situation had "changed significantly" since her last visit two years ago.

Families, Not Figures

According to OCHA, more than half of Haiti's population — 6.4 million people — now need humanitarian assistance. Of these, 5.7 million face hunger, with families skipping meals and children dropping out of school to support their households. Some 1.5 million people, or 12% of the population, are internally displaced.

"These are not abstract figures," Wosurnu stressed. "These represent families uprooted, separated children — many who've lost the homes they knew."

Conditions in displacement sites are harrowing. A school designed for 400 students now shelters 2,800 people. Residents reported vermin infestations at night and skin rashes on children. Gender-based violence (GBV) has surged to alarming levels, and the operating environment for UN agencies and partners remains severely constrained.

How Did It Come to This?

Haiti's collapse did not happen overnight. The 2010 earthquake, which killed over 230,000 people, shattered the country's institutional foundations. Chronic poverty and political instability followed.

The 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse deepened the political vacuum, compounded by a second major earthquake the same year. Armed gangs exploited the chaos, rapidly expanding their territorial control. By 2023, gangs controlled large swaths of Port-au-Prince. A Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) deployed in 2024, but tangible improvements have been minimal.

International aid has been inconsistent — surging after each disaster, then fading as media attention moved on, leaving structural vulnerabilities unaddressed.

Outlook [AI Analysis]

As long as gang control persists, a near-term improvement in Haiti's humanitarian situation appears unlikely. Food aid access will likely be further constrained by deteriorating security, and the approaching rainy season raises the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks — including cholera — in overcrowded displacement sites.

With international funding falling well short of operational minimums, the UN is calling for sustained global attention. Discussions on extending and reinforcing the MSS mandate are ongoing, but a genuine restoration of security is likely to require significant time.

For South Korea, which has contributed to Haiti's reconstruction through UN peacekeeping operations and official development assistance, the prolonged crisis may prompt fresh diplomatic deliberation over additional support commitments.