GENEVA, Switzerland (CMC) — The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said Monday that 2,300 people have been killed in Haiti due to gang violence since the start of this year.

Addressing the opening of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Turk told delegates that nearly 100 others have been kidnapped in the French-speaking country.

“In Haiti, gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings since the start of the year. The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) is urgently needed and needs to operate in line with international human rights law,” Turk told the 47-country council.

Late last year, the UN Security Council gave the green light for the GSF, a multinational police and military force to combat escalating gang violence in Haiti.

With a mandated troop size of up to 5,500, it replaces the previously under-resourced Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.

Turk called on authorities to tackle the rampant crime situation in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Americas, with a population of 12 million people.

Meanwhile, in Haiti, the kidnappers of James Boyard, inspector general of the Haitian National Police (PNH), who is also the chief of staff to the minister of defence, are demanding a ransom for his release and that of his wife and six-year-old child.

Media reports said they are demanding a ransom of between US$500,000 and US$700,000 for their release. However, there has been no official confirmation of the report.

Last week, it was disclosed that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Haiti on Tuesday with his spokesman, Farhan Haq, saying this will be “a solidarity visit, during which he will meet men, women and children whose lives have been affected by violence”.