Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Thursday that the escalating violence in Haiti is putting civilians at “grave risk,” urging the international community to protect human rights in the country.

HRW said Haiti’s transitional government is unable to contain the spread of violence throughout the country while criminal groups maintain a hold on the capital of Port-au-Prince. The rights group highlighted that “only 10 percent of Port-au-Prince remains under government control” while “criminal groups have attacked key infrastructure,” including schools and health centers.

HRW stated: “Amid this growing instability, foreign governments have largely remained silent… no concrete action has been taken.” The rights group called on the UN and the international community to increase their support for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS), which was designed to help the police combat gang violence. Haitian human rights advocate Pierre Espérance told HRW: “Immediate reinforcement of the Haitian Police and MSS with troops, helicopters, and resources is critical. Haitians are in agony without international support.”

Haiti’s transitional government, established in 2024, has been criticized for its failure to adequately protect its citizens from ensuing violence at the hands of criminal groups. In protest, “self-defense” groups and members of the opposition have “taken to the streets in the capital” and called for the resignation of the current government. The transitional government responded with the declaration of a state of emergency.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued a statement on the escalating situation on April 13, expressing its concern over the reports of gang activity in the capital compelling “a change in the governance arrangements in Haiti.” CARICOM warned that any further violence will worsen the current humanitarian crisis and emphasized the role of the transitional council put in place by “Haitian stakeholders” to “return Haiti to constitutional authority.” The US also issued a statement in support of both CARICOM and Haiti’s transitional government.

The UN recently warned of an alarming increase in forced displacement in Haiti, with a record of nearly 60,000 people fleeing the capital in just one month. The displacement crisis is just one part of a larger humanitarian crisis that has escalated since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The country has since experienced a rise in gang violence, forced recruitment of children into armed gangs, and the destruction of hospitals and the healthcare system.