UN Condemns Reported Massacre Amid Escalating Gang Violence in Haiti

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the reported killing of at least 40 people during a gang attack in the fishing village of Labodrie north of Haiti’s capital, highlighting the escalating gang violence spreading beyond Port-au-Prince. The attack reportedly followed the killing of a gang leader named Vladimir, a member of Viv Ansanm, a gang alliance designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. in May. The U.S. State Department identified Viv Ansanm as a primary cause of instability and violence in Haiti, with its members controlling large parts of the capital and surrounding areas. Guterres expressed heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and called on Haitian authorities to bring perpetrators to justice while urging international support for the Multinational Security Support mission to assist Haiti’s National Police. He also painted a grim picture of Haiti’s deteriorating state, noting that state authority is crumbling amid a deepening humanitarian crisis with millions in need of aid and widespread displacement. Despite the urgent need, the UN funding appeal remains severely underfunded, risking that many vulnerable Haitians may receive no assistance.