At least 70 people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in a gang attack in Haiti’s Artibonite region, according to two rights organisations, as thousands of residents fled the violence in the towns of Jean Denis and Pont Sondé.

The violence began in the early hours of Sunday (29 March) and continued into Monday according to local officials and residents.

The collective Defenseurs Plus and Kolektif pou Sove Latibonit (KSL) described the assault as a “massacre”, saying more than 50 homes were burned and nearly 6,000 people displaced.

Survivors fled to nearby areas in what the groups called “inhumane destitution”.

Police response and disputed tolls

Haiti’s National Police said officers, backed by Kenyan-led security forces, intervened on Sunday after the Gran Grif gang attacked Jean Denis. The gang dug trenches and blocked roads to slow the response, allowing time to carry out killings and arson before fleeing, according to local officials.

Earlier, authorities had confirmed a lower toll of 16 deaths and 10 injured, and said operations were ongoing to track down those responsible.

A spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General told a press briefing the organisation's office in Haiti, (BINUH), was closely monitoring the events and that estimates ranged from 10 to 80 people killed. He called for a thorough investigation.

Rights groups, however, accused the government of “revolting passivity” and warned that impunity could no longer be tolerated.

Crisis and instability

The attack highlights Haiti’s worsening security crisis, which has intensified since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Armed groups now control much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, amid prolonged political instability.

Former prime minister Ariel Henry resigned in April 2024, with interim leader Alix Didier Fils-Aime taking office later that year.

Around 5.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance as violence and economic collapse continue.

Close to 20,000 people have been killed in Haiti since 2021, according to a recent UN report, with the death toll rising each year, as increasingly independent and powerful armed gangs have clashed with security forces and local vigilante groups.

More than 1.4 million people - around 12% of the Caribbean's most populous nation - have been displaced by the conflict with armed gangs, worsening an economic crisis and access to food.

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