Haiti has been gripped by a new spike of gang violence, which has hit policemen, women, and girls particularly hard. In recent days, at least 60 people – including a police officer and his daughter – have been killed and 50 others kidnapped. According to a new UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, the risk of further instability is growing as armed groups traffic increasingly sophisticated high-calibre firearms and ammunition into the country. Haiti’s “porous border”, and the fact that its underfinanced national police is overwhelmed, are also contributing to the problem, according to UNODC.
