At least 613 people were killed and 375 injured during a resurgence of gang violence in parts of Haiti between March 6 and July 31, according to a report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH.
The UN mission said violence intensified in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac area and several neighbourhoods of Cite Soleil. Most deaths occurred during confrontations between criminal gangs, but more than one-third of those killed were not associated with gangs, the report found.
BINUH documented sexual violence against more than 176 women and girls during the period. It attributed the rapes to gang members. The mission also said gangs attacked both public and private buildings, disrupting schools and health services.
More than 18,000 people fled their homes as the violence damaged humanitarian access and local economic activity. The mission said some documented acts could amount to serious violations of international human rights law. That assessment signals potential legal gravity but is not itself a criminal judgment against identified individuals.
One incident highlighted in the report occurred on June 13, shortly after Haiti's World Cup match against Scotland. Gang members attacked a gathering of more than 300 people that included a traditional music group. At least 61 people were killed and 20 injured, including at least seven children. The youngest child killed was seven years old.
The reporting period and geographic focus matter when reading the figures. The toll is not a count of every violent death across Haiti during 2026, but of incidents covered by BINUH's review between the stated dates in areas affected by the renewed fighting. The figures may also change if additional cases are documented.
BINUH called for stronger operational capacity for Haitian security forces, effective protection for civilians and action against impunity for human-rights abuses. It also said efforts should continue toward full deployment of the Gang Suppression Force. The mission identified personnel, equipment, specialised capabilities and financing as requirements for that force.
Those recommendations reflect the UN mission's assessment of what the security response lacks. They do not establish that expanded enforcement alone would address the displacement, closures of public services and sexual violence described in the report.
The data show a crisis extending beyond clashes among armed groups. With more than a third of the dead described as unaffiliated with gangs, and schools and health services suspended after attacks, civilians bore a substantial share of the harm. The report's immediate priorities were protection, operational support and accountability, while responsibility for individual incidents would still require investigation.
