More than 16,000 people have been killed in armed violence in Haiti since the start of 2022, the United Nations said on Thursday, warning that "the worst may be yet to come."
"More than 16,000 people have been killed and some 7,000 people injured in armed violence since January 1, 2022, when we began our monitoring on gang-related violence," UN rights chief Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
He said gangs were spreading fear beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the violence threatens to "destabilise the wider sub-region."
Turk said some six million people – half of Haiti's population – needed humanitarian aid.
On Tuesday, the UN Security Council in New York adopted a resolution to transform a UN-backed security mission in Haiti into a larger, full-fledged force with military troops.
"International commitment and backing for this are urgent. Without them, the worst may be yet to come for Haiti and the broader region," Turk said.
