UN Urges Rapid Scale-up of Haiti Gang Suppression Force

The United Nations Security Council met in an emergency session to address escalating violence in Haiti following a gang attack in Kenscoff that killed 47 people, including five children. Attackers targeted a church and set houses on fire, highlighting a security crisis that has claimed over 21,000 lives since 2022.

UN officials reported that nearly 200,000 people were forcibly returned to Haiti during the first eight months of 2026, an increase of 20,000 over the previous year. This surge in deportations from the Bahamas and the United States coincides with a volatile environment where illegal arms trafficking from the southeastern United States continues to fuel gang activity.

Diplomats and officials are now urging the rapid scale-up of the Gang Suppression Force to reach its target of 5,500 troops by autumn. While the Government of Haiti has secured new support agreements with Ivory Coast, Mongolia, and Chad, the Security Council must vote on the force's mandate renewal at the end of September. Officials warned that ongoing security failures are currently constraining preparations for national elections.