GENEVA (AP) 鈥 The U.N. migration agency says internal displacement in Haiti, largely caused by gang violence, has tripled over the last year and now surpasses 1 million people 鈥 a record in the Caribbean nation.
The reported Tuesday that 鈥渞elentless gang violence鈥 in the capital, Port-au-Prince, has fueled a near-doubling of displacement there and a collapse of health care and other services, and worsening food insecurity. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world.
鈥淭he latest data reveals that 1,041,000 people, many displaced multiple times, are struggling amidst an intensifying humanitarian crisis,鈥 the Geneva-based agency said in a statement. Children make up more than half of the displaced population.
The figure marks a three-fold increase in displacement from the 315,000 in December 2023, IOM said.
Agency spokesman Kennedy Okoth told a U.N. briefing in Geneva that the forced return of around 200,000 people 鈥 mostly from neighboring Dominican Republic 鈥 to Haiti over the last year had worsened the crisis. The two countries share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
Okoth said that the number of displacement sites in Port-au-Prince has risen from 73 to 108 over the last year.
The outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has strongly supported and expanded a , which allows some foreign nationals from countries like El Salvador, Haiti and Venezuela to remain in the U.S.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, the use of the program and policies that grant temporary status, as they pursue mass deportations. U.S. federal regulations would allow the extensions to be terminated early, although that鈥檚 never been done before.
Asked whether IOM had any concerns about possible changes to such U.S. protections, Okoth declined to comment about any specific country.
But he said that 鈥渄eportation or any forced returns to countries that are already facing mounting security and humanitarian challenges is not something that is going to be beneficial to the group.鈥
As Haiti continues to struggle with a surge in gang violence, the government on Tuesday swore in Mario Andr茅sol as the new state secretary of public security.
Andr茅sol, who served as director of Haiti's 春色直播 Police nearly 20 years ago, pledged to crack down on gangs and crime including weapons and drug trafficking.
鈥淲e have to think and rethink strategies to fight crime,鈥 he said at a news conference where he held a moment of silence for victims of violence. 鈥淓veryone needs to collaborate.鈥
Joining Andr茅sol was Haitian Prime Minister Alix Fils-Aim茅, who said he was taking responsibility for placing 鈥渢he right people in the right job鈥 to protect Haitians and provide security.
鈥淭he Haitian people deserve to live in peace,' he said, adding that the country faced multiple challenges. 鈥滻f we work nonstop, that can be changed."
Last week, the U.N. Human Rights Office noted that , a more than 20% increase compared with the previous year. In addition, more than 2,200 people were reported injured and nearly 1,500 kidnapped.
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Associated Press reporter Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti contributed.
