United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visited Haiti on Tuesday to draw global attention to the country’s escalating humanitarian crisis. New UN statistics reveal that 2,300 people have been killed in Haiti so far in 2026, with an additional 100 kidnapped. Over 1.5 million people — more than one in ten Haitians — have been displaced by surging gang violence.
Among those recently abducted is James Boyard, cabinet director of Haiti’s Defence Ministry, who was kidnapped in the capital Port-au-Prince last week. The visit by Guterres is intended to pressure the international community to step up both security and humanitarian support for the Caribbean nation.
Haiti’s instability has persisted for years, but 2026 has seen a sharp deterioration, with gangs controlling significant portions of the capital and vital supply routes, making the delivery of aid increasingly dangerous.
