Situation in Haiti
- Gangs now control over 28 zones, according to a report by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH). CARDH and other watchdog organizations warn that without structural security reform, Haiti risks falling entirely under criminal control.
- More than 200,000 displaced Haitians face extreme risk as hurricane season begins, warns a UN representative. Many are living in flood-prone areas without proper shelter, drainage, or sanitation.
- The World Food Program (WFP) is seeking $46 million to aid 2 million Haitians facing severe hunger, including 8,500 at the worst level of hunger. WFP warns it has no emergency food stocks for hurricane season and may be forced to cut school meals in half without immediate funding.
- The Haitian National Police (PNH) launched an assault on gang stronghold Kraze Baryè on 7 June. Several of its soldiers were killed; however, gang leader Vitelhomme Innocent reportedly escaped.
- Violent clashes between the Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo gangs erupted on the night of 6 June to 7 June, reportedly over a new toll booth installed by Chen Mechan in Lilavois, Port-au-Prince. Multiple gang members and civilians were killed, says Alexandre Arsonval, mayor of Tabarre.
- Gangs set fire to a municipal market in Mirebalais, causing major economic losses for local merchants and families.
- Savien’s Gran Grif gang invaded Jean-Denis, an anti-gang resistance in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, on 28 May, killing residents and forcing mass displacement.
- SWAT officer Esdras Hilaire was killed during an anti-gang operation in Port-au-Prince on 4 June, marking the fourth police officer killed in less than two months.
- Armed gangs attacked the Vivy Mitchel neighborhood in Pétion-Ville on 29 May, burning several homes, including that of former presidential spokesperson Lucien Jura.
- Four suspected members of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition were arrested in the commune of Delmas on 7 June. The suspects, connected to a gang in Cité Soleil, were apprehended during two separate police operations.
- Erik Prince, founder of the private military company Blackwater, is recruiting Haitian American veterans and foreign fighters as mercenaries to combat gangs in Haiti under a contract with the transitional government.
- However, local leader and U.S. Army veteran Rodenay Joseph is concerned Prince’s involvement in Haiti’s affairs bypasses accountability and risks repeating past abuses by private military contractors in the country.
- Haitian scholars launched the Patriotic Congress for the Reorganization of Haiti (PCRH). It aims to unite academics and leaders of civil society organizations from Haiti and the diaspora to analyze the crisis and propose reforms in public security, governance, and economic development.
- Haiti will resume domestic flights from Port-au-Prince on 12 June, reconnecting the capital with major provincial cities despite ongoing international flight bans.
Situation on the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT)
- Haiti’s draft constitution, submitted to the CPT on 21 May, faces backlash from political leaders, civil society groups, economists and legal experts for proposing sweeping reforms that critics say will fragment governance, concentrate power in the presidency, and sideline the diaspora.
- Critics argue the proposal risks making Haiti “tragically ungovernable” and igniting “leadership battles and endless chaos” during a time of institutional collapse and democratic crisis.
- Fritz Alphonse Jean’s call for a “war budget” sparks criticism, since only 13.7% of the national budget has been spent as of 30 April. Critics argue the appeal is empty without action, strategy, or functioning institutions, with ministries at a standstill and gangs tightening their grip.
Situation on the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission
- Panama offered to train the PNH in urban and border security, said Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino. Mulino said they will only send forces if the UN officially deploys UN peacekeepers, known as the Blue Helmets.
International situation
- U.S. President Trump’s new travel ban on citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, took effect on 9 June, aiming to prevent or severely limit their entry to the United States. Trump said it was intended to protect “the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.”
- Cabinet officials identified a list of countries in April where vetting and screening information surrounding visa applicants was “deficient” enough to warrant a full or partial suspension.
- The proclamation suspends entry of individuals only if they were outside the U.S. and did not have a valid visa before the effective date. Visas issued before that date should remain valid for entry.
- The Haitian government criticized the travel ban, warning it could strain bilateral relations. Despite the setback, the Haitian government said it remains committed to continue dialogue and cooperation with Washington on security and migration policy.
- The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to revoke legal protections for over 500,000 immigrants, including Haitians, exposing nearly 1 million people to potential deportation.
- Haiti has been elected to the WHO Executive Board, pledging to spotlight issues affecting vulnerable populations across the Global South.
- A proposed 3.5% U.S. tax on remittances from non-citizens could cost Haiti over $130 million per year. The bill has passed the House and awaits ratification by the Senate. U.S. citizens would be exempt if using authorized money transfer operators and can prove their citizenship.
Links of interest
Haiti loses another officer in line of duty amid rising gang control
UN warns Haiti faces extreme hurricane threats
UN food agency appeals for $46 million to help 2 million Haitians facing severe hunger
Actualité à la une du 9 juin 2025: Les opérations s’intensifient dans le fief du gang « Kraze Baryè » où plusieurs de ses soldats ont été tués, selon l’agent exécutif intérimaire de Tabarre Arsonval Alexandre
Mirebalais Public Market Set on Fire
Savien Gang Launches Assault on Jean-Denis, Stronghold of Anti-Gang Resistance
Nouvelle attaque de bandits à Vivy Mitchell
Quatre présumés bandits arrêtés à Delmas
Trump ally attempts to recruit Haitian American veterans for Haiti mercenary mission
Academics-led patriotic congress launches with diaspora input to address Haiti’s crisis
Haiti’s domestic flights resume, sparking both hope and skepticism
Haitians reject draft constitution over concerns of fragmentation and weakened democracy
Le pays s’effondre, 13 % seulement dépensés
Panama currently rules out sending forces to Haiti and offers to train Haitian police
What to Know About Trump’s New Travel Ban
Haiti expresses disappointment over US travel ban
Supreme Court allows Trump to revoke legal protections for over 500,000 immigrants from Haiti and 3 other countries
Amid health crisis at home, Haiti secures first seat on WHO executive board
USA : Towards a 3.5% tax on diaspora remittances
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