WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is expressing its “deep concern” at the alarming deterioration of the security situation in Haiti, which it said is characterised by a new escalation of extreme violence.

It said that the violence perpetrated by armed groups continues to claim victims and cause massive population displacement.

According to IACHR, between January 27 and 30, more than 50 people were reportedly killed in Kenscoff by armed members of the Viv Ansanm criminal coalition.

The IACHR said it is also condemning the murder of a two-month-old baby on February 14 and the death of his mother, who succumbed to the pain of the infant murder a day later, according to official information.

According to public information, in a reprehensible act, the baby was allegedly burnt by members of criminal groups in the presence of his mother, who was fatally injured.

IACHR said that on the night of February 16, a massacre in the Château Blond and Petit-Roupeau sectors, on the Frères road, left at least 20 dead, including five members of the same family.

On February 12, in Montrouis, an attack against the Haitian National Police (PNH) left four injured and one dead. Similarly, on February 25, two Haitian Armed Forces soldiers were killed in Delmas 30, reflecting the growing threat facing security institutions and the general population.

“These facts, in addition to those previously presented and reported by the IACHR, highlight the lethal capacity of criminal gangs and the lack of effective responses to put an end to their actions,” said the IACHR, a principal and autonomous organ of the Organisation of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights.

It said the violence in the country seriously threatens the lives and security of the civilian population and reflects the lack of state control over these armed groups.

This context leads to the forced displacement of thousands of people due to the violence. In less than a month, more than 6,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to a UN report published last February.

“Haiti is experiencing a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions, as relentless attacks by armed groups continue to flourish amid institutional weakness. The IACHR reiterates its urgent call to the international community and the Haitian authorities to adopt immediate and effective measures to protect the civilian population, strengthen the rule of law, and guarantee the security and fundamental rights of the Haitian people.”

The IACHR said it is reaffirming its commitment to monitoring the situation in Haiti and to deploying all its mechanisms to collaborate in the restoration of human rights guarantees in the country.