Haiti, Now Out of Options, Will Need More Help as It Falls to the Rule of Gangs and Its Citizens Flee to America

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While the plight of Haitian migrants in places like Springfield, Ohio, has garnered attention in recent months, far less focus has been placed on why tens of thousands of people are fleeing the small Caribbean nation. For more than three years, Haiti has been consumed by conflict, and the situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly, leaving the United States with little choice but to take more decisive action.

So, what will President Trump have to contend with?

“For decades, some academics insisted that ‘Haiti is a failing state, not a failed state,’ in an attempt to try to creative a less negative spin,” a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Edward P. Joseph, tells The New York Sun. “This year’s utter collapse served as bracing proof that this spin was a mistake. It is imperative to see Haiti in its reality, without ideological bias.”

Roots of the Crisis

The current crisis erupted in July 2021 after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse left a power vacuum in a country already reeling from decades of political instability, corruption, and natural disasters. In November 2024, Alix Didier Fils-Aime was appointed as the new prime minister, replacing Garry Conille, as part of the transitional council’s plan to address ongoing security and political crises; although it remains unclear how, and if, he can wrestle back governing power.

Without a strong central authority for over three years, the gangs that had long operated in the shadows began to take over. Now, armed groups control an estimated eighty percent of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and more than 12,000 people have been slaughtered.

“The gangs outgun the police, extort, rob, destroy property, assault, injure, rape and kill with impunity,” a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, tells the Sun. “They are at the center of the country’s security crisis, which itself is driving the humanitarian crisis. The gangs are fueled by extortion and participation in the drug trade. They import illegally trafficked semi-automatic rifles, which can easily be converted to full auto, from the United States, and have firepower that exceeds that of the Haitian National Police.”

These gangs, many of which are led by former police and paramilitary officers, have framed themselves as protectors of their communities. Their presence has led to a dramatic escalation in violence. Kidnappings, killings, and sexual assaults have skyrocketed, with innocent civilians bearing the brunt of the brutality.

In 2023, gang violence reached new heights when previously rival groups united to launch coordinated attacks against Haitian authorities, torching schools, police stations, homes, and health clinics across the city. Mr. Hernandez-Roy also notes that the gangs have expanded into the countryside, prompting Haitian authorities to broaden an existing state of emergency to the whole country.

Collapse of Authority

At the core of Haiti’s crisis is the unchecked power of these gangs.

Mr. Joseph emphasizes that while gangs have existed for years, the actual failure “is due to the utter collapse of state authority.”

“This is actually quite unusual. During unrest, the standard reaction is for a ‘crackdown,’ often heavy-handed and used by authoritarians to round up political opponents,” he explains. “In Haiti’s case, there is no authority for even a would-be authoritarian to exercise. Indeed, the only candidates for that role would be one of the notorious gang leaders — a disastrous concept.”

With no real government authority to counter them, gangs have filled the vacuum, turning parts of the country into war zones. The forced recruitment of children into gang life has become alarmingly common, with little opportunity for those caught in this violent web to escape. Once recruited, many find no way out, trapped by the pervasive cycle of violence, threats, and economic desperation.

This forced recruitment has led to calls for the international community to focus not just on curbing the violence but on providing real exit strategies for those seeking to leave gang life. Unfortunately, programs aimed at reintegrating former gang members into society have been slow to materialize.

Humanitarian Disaster

The scale of the humanitarian crisis is staggering. Over 5.5 million people desperately need aid, and more than half are children. Basic services have collapsed: Hospitals are shuttered, health services are at a standstill, and a cholera outbreak is spreading, fueled by a lack of access to clean water. As of 2023, nearly 45 percent of Haitians are without safe drinking water, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes, many without documentation or identification.

The gang violence has also shut down schools, leaving children without access to education. This disruption is not only robbing a generation of their future but is also fueling the cycle of violence as gangs increasingly turn to forced recruitment, especially among young boys. Women and girls have also become primary targets of violence, with rape cases increasing by nearly 50 percent from 2022 to 2023.

Why Haiti Matters to Washington

Haiti’s descent into chaos isn’t just a local tragedy — it’s a growing international crisis with far-reaching implications. America has long been involved in Haiti’s affairs, both diplomatically and through humanitarian assistance. In 2023 alone, Washington pledged $380 million as part of a $600 million international effort to stabilize the country. With Haiti’s situation worsening, questions are emerging about whether these efforts are enough.

“Haiti’s humanitarian and security crisis is leading to irregular migration, which impacts the region as well as the United States,” said Mr. Hernandez-Roy. “It is also a transshipment route for illegal narcotics into the United States, with even the heist echelons of government, if you can call it that, being indicted for drug trafficking.”

Continued unrest could destabilize the Caribbean region, causing ripples throughout the Western Hemisphere. A professor at the Army War College, Robert Evan Ellis, asserts that there “are simply far more armed Haitians than police” and pointed out that Haiti has emerged as the “nexus for the illegal arms trade in the Caribbean.”

“The further collapse of Haiti will not only worsen these trends, including migrant outflows and the export of firearms to its Caribbean neighbors but will also discredit the region’s perception of the ability of the United States and rest of the democratic international community to address Haiti’s problems, opening the door for alternative solutions by populist leftist governments in the region to promote their own ‘solutions,’” he cautioned.

International Intervention

In June 2023, nearly 400 Kenyan police officers arrived in Haiti as part of a United Nations-sanctioned mission to assist Haitian forces in battling the gangs. While this marked a significant step in international efforts to restore order, the deployment has been fraught with challenges. The Kenyan troops do not speak Haiti’s native Creole or French, complicating communication with local communities.

“The impact has been quite limited so far, owing to their small numbers and lack of equipment,” Mr. Hernandez-Roy reckons.

Additionally, Kenya’s security forces carry their own troubling history of human rights abuses, raising concerns about the potential for further harm in an already fragile situation.

Plans for a broader United Nations peacekeeping mission are in place, with an international force expected to take over by 2025. This, however, is controversial. Haitians vividly remember the United Nations’ last intervention, which was marred by widespread sexual abuse scandals and a 2016 cholera outbreak that killed at least 10,000 people. These memories have led to widespread opposition to another UN-led mission, with many Haitians calling instead for solutions that prioritize local voices and Haitian-led initiatives.

Path to Peace

Despite the challenges, Washington has little choice but to wade deeper. With Trump back in office, his administration is expected to prioritize strong, decisive action that both upholds U.S. borders and addresses the underlying turmoil driving this humanitarian crisis.

Secretary of State Blinken has acknowledged the need for more funding and personnel, and efforts are underway to build a multinational force that could help stabilize the country.

“The United States and its Haitian and international partners now need to re-build the police forces,” Mr. Joseph stresses. “The Haitian army was already abolished. Now, after this latest collapse, re-building the police forces is the urgent priority.”

The most pressing, underreported issue is the lack of viable alternatives for those trapped in gang life, especially children, which assessments indicate make between a third and half of gangs. Without practical exit strategies and rehabilitation programs, any progress made through military or police action will be temporary at best.

As the crisis deepens, the stakes are rising not only for Haiti but also for the international community — although few are holding their breath that the path to peace will be anything close to swift. “Foreign interventions in Haiti have not really accomplished much,” Mr. Hernandez-Roy adds. “However, Haiti really has no other option at this point.”

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