PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—More than 1,740 people were reported killed or injured in Haiti from July to September, a nearly 30 percent increase over the previous trimester, according to the latest numbers released Wednesday by UN officials.
The surge in violence comes as gangs seize control of 85 percent of the capital of Port-au-Prince—up from 80 percent—while a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles with a lack of funding and personnel, prompting calls for a UN peacekeeping mission.
A spokesperson for Haiti’s National Police did not respond to requests for comment, while Muscadin declined comment and hung up when reached by phone.Gangs now have an estimated 5,500 members after recruiting mainly children who work as scouts, carry weapons and ammunition and even participate in combat, according to a UN Security Council report released Monday. It noted that children may represent up to 50 percent of all gang members.
The number of people killed or injured from July to September increased by 27 percent compared with the second trimester, although there was a 32 percent drop compared with the first trimester. At least 122 killings were blamed on self-defense groups that formed last year and have targeted suspected gang members or people accused of crimes including stealing animals or cell phones.
Gang violence has left more than 700,000 people homeless in recent years, and it has surged this month, with gunmen trying to take over Solino, one of the last communities in Port-au-Prince that is not under their control.
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