Search
Search
Journalism from the heart of crises
  1. Home
  2. Americas
  3. Haiti

Police killed in Haiti attack

Three anti-gang police officers in Haiti were killed on 9 June in a sudden attack carried out by gang members in lower Delmas, a neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince that is controlled by infamous gang leader Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier. Two other officers were rescued by backup units and survived the attack.

Increased levels of violence in Port-Au-Prince have led to a large number of people fleeing the capital, with gangs controlling more than 80% of the city. Currently, 578,074 people have been internally displaced – a 60% increase since March. Many have sought refuge in provinces outside of the Port-Au-Prince’s metropolitan area. 

A UN-approved multi-national security mission (MSS) led by Kenya is meant to bring more stability to the country by helping Haitian police fight gangs and restore order. But its deployment has been continuously delayed. Originally scheduled to be deployed at the end of May, it was postponed after an advance team of Kenyans identified a shortage of equipment.

On 9 June, Kenya’s President, William Ruto, announced that the deployment will take place in the next week or two. The MSS is largely financed by the US, but the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, and Jamaica have pledged to send personnel.

Meanwhile, in late May Haiti managed to reopen its international airport, which closed in early March after gangs joined forces to oust acting prime minister Ariel Henry and took control of key infrastructure.

To keep up to date with humanitarian challenges in Haiti, check out our recent coverage.

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join