Kidnappings in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince rose sharply between July and September, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) said on Wednesday, as the UN office published its quarterly report on the human rights situation in the country.

Source: Reuters

The report recorded 92 kidnapping victims in the capital in the third quarter, up from 51 in the previous quarter. Children accounted for 10 per cent of the victims, BINUH said. No victim is named in the report summary, and this article names none.

Source: BINUH quarterly report via ReliefWeb

1,167 people killed in three months

Across the whole country, 1,167 people were killed and 459 injured during the quarter, BINUH said. The office attributed 45 per cent of the killings and injuries to gangs, 50 per cent to security force operations against gangs, and 5 per cent to self-defence groups and non-organised members of the population.

The office documented at least 344 victims of sexual violence perpetrated by gangs during the quarter. It also said at least 14 people not affiliated with gangs were killed or injured by explosive drones, including two children.

Police executions documented as rising

BINUH noted a sharp increase in extrajudicial executions and attempted extrajudicial executions committed by police officers, with 44 documented cases in the quarter — triple the 14 recorded in the previous quarter. One police officer was killed and five others were injured during security operations against gangs, the report said.

The report also recorded the return of gang members to the Bel-Air, Bas Delmas and La Saline neighbourhoods of the capital, which they had fled following security operations conducted in early 2026, and documented gang interference in the electoral process, along with acts of violence against election candidates.

What the UN recommended

BINUH recommended that the Haitian government launch investigations into mass crimes, sexual violence and financial crimes, and ensure that operations against gangs are conducted in full compliance with international human rights law.

The report comes amid an intensified security campaign involving Haitian authorities and newly deployed Salvadoran troops, as the government pushes to restore stability ahead of newly delayed elections, Reuters reported.