Gang violence in Cité Soleil, the densely populated Port-au-Prince neighborhood that has long been a flashpoint for armed conflict, surged in the spring of 2019 as the weakening of state authority created a vacuum that armed groups rushed to fill. Residents described escalating shootouts between rival gangs, with innocent civilians caught in the crossfire and many families fleeing their homes.
Human rights organizations documented dozens of deaths in gang-related violence in Cité Soleil and surrounding areas in the first months of 2019, with the actual toll believed to be higher given underreporting in areas where residents feared retaliation. The wounded were often unable to reach hospitals due to active shooting, and some died from otherwise treatable injuries.
The Haitian National Police reported increasing difficulty maintaining any presence in the most contested zones, with officers describing coming under sustained fire when attempting to enter certain areas. Resources and manpower that might have been deployed to combat gang activity were stretched thin across the broader security demands of a country in political crisis.
Community leaders in Cité Soleil appealed for international attention to the humanitarian situation in their neighborhood, arguing that residents were being left to fend for themselves between armed factions that showed no regard for civilian life. They called for a dedicated security and social intervention that addressed both the symptoms and root causes of gang violence.