16 Killed in Haiti Gang Violence

At least 16 people have been killed and several others injured following a violent gang attack in Haiti’s Artibonite region, according to local authorities, as escalating clashes continue to destabilize one of the country’s most vital agricultural areas.

Police in Haiti confirmed on Monday that the deadly assault took place in the town of Petite Rivière, where armed groups clashed amid an ongoing conflict involving a gang known locally as Gran Grif.

Initial reports from civil protection officials suggested the death toll could be even higher, with early estimates indicating 17 fatalities and 19 injuries. Local media said the violence began in the Jean-Denis neighborhood before spreading across parts of the town.

The attack comes on the heels of alarming findings from the United Nations, which reported that more than 2,000 people have recently been displaced due to armed raids in the nearby area of Verrettes. The surge in violence has forced many residents of Petite Rivière to flee their homes in search of safety.

Artibonite, often described as Haiti’s breadbasket due to its critical role in food production, has become a major flashpoint in the country’s worsening security crisis. The region has seen some of the most severe violence outside the capital, Port-au-Prince, as gang conflicts expand beyond urban centers into rural communities.