More than 530 killed in Haiti gang violence this year: UN

Geneva, March 21 (AFP/APP): More than 530 people have been killed this year in gang violence in Haiti, the United Nations said Tuesday, with many killed by snipers shooting victims at random.

The UN human rights office said it was concerned that extreme violence was spiralling out of control in Haiti.

“Clashes between gangs are becoming more violent and more frequent, as they try to expand their territorial control throughout the capital and other regions by targeting people living in areas controlled by rivals,” spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said.

This year, up to March 15, “531 people were killed, 300 injured and 277 kidnapped in gang-related incidents that took place mainly in the capital, Port-au-Prince,” she told reporters in Geneva.

In the first two weeks of March alone, gang clashes left at least 208 dead, 164 injured and 101 kidnapped, she said.

“Most of the victims were killed or injured by snipers who were reportedly randomly shooting at people in their homes or on the streets,” Hurtado said.

Students and teachers have been hit by stray bullets, and kidnappings of parents and pupils in the vicinity of schools has surged, forcing many to close.

Without the protective school environment, “many children have been forcibly recruited by armed gangs”, Hurtado said.

As of mid-March, at least 160,000 people have also been displaced, she added.