PORT-AU-PRINCE: At least 70 people were killed and 30 others injured in an attack near Petite-Rivière in Haiti’s Artibonite region, a human rights group said, significantly higher than initial official estimates of around 16 fatalities.
Residents and local officials said the attack began early Sunday in rural communities around Jean-Denis and continued into Monday, as armed gang members stormed the area and set houses on fire.
The Defenceurs Plus rights group estimated that about 6,000 people were displaced by the violence, while the United Nations said more than 2,000 people fled their homes following nearby gang raids.
Earlier, police had reported 16 deaths and 10 injuries, while a preliminary civil protection report put the toll at 17 dead and 19 wounded, mostly men.
A spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said the organisation’s office in Haiti was closely monitoring the situation, adding that casualty estimates ranged between 10 and 80. The UN called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
In a joint statement, Defenceurs Plus and the Collective to Save the Artibonite criticised authorities for what they described as a lack of security response and abandonment of the region to armed groups.
An audio message circulating on social media, attributed to Gran Grif leader Luckson Elan, suggested the attack was retaliation for earlier assaults on the group’s base by a rival gang.
The Artibonite department, a major agricultural hub, has witnessed some of the worst violence in Haiti as gang conflict spreads beyond the capital despite increased policing and promises of foreign support.
Haiti’s National Police said three armoured vehicles were deployed but faced obstacles after gangs dug holes in the roads. Officials said attackers had fled before police arrived, leaving several homes burned.
Police said the injured were taken to a local hospital while the deceased were moved to morgues. An operation has been launched to track down the fleeing gang members. Defenceurs Plus estimated that around 50 houses were destroyed in the attack.
According to a recent UN report, nearly 20,000 people have been killed in Haiti since 2021 as powerful armed gangs clash with security forces and vigilante groups.
The United States has designated the Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm gang alliances as terrorist organisations and recently announced a reward of up to $3 million for information about their financial activities.
The latest attack follows a series of massacres in the region. In October 2024, an assault on the nearby town of Pont-Sonde left 115 people dead.
More than 1.4 million people — around 12 percent of Haiti’s population — have been displaced by gang violence, worsening the country’s economic crisis and food insecurity.