UN officials warned on Wednesday that Haiti’s crisis has reached a critical phase as violence escalates, with entrenched criminal networks and spiralling humanitarian needs fueling national instability.

Haiti is nearing the end of a foreseen political transition period, set to expire on February 7. However, the UN officials stated that efforts to restore security, democratic institutions, political cohesion, and regular elections must advance in order to avoid the “breaking point.”

Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, described the situation, saying: “Let us be clear: the country no longer has time to waste on prolonged internal struggles.”

Significant challenges disrupt national security in Haiti. Armed violence has intensified over the last year, and powerful gangs shape daily life. Gang members reportedly carry heavy weapons and routinely use sexual violence and kidnappings for ransom to maintain national control. Some previously fragmented groups have reorganized into “structural criminal networks,” including the Viv Ansanm coalition, which attacks police, prisons, and economic infrastructure.

Police operations, led by the UN Security Council’s Gang Suppression Force (GSF), have managed to reopen roads and restore some state presence. Ruiz-Massieu warned that there is an urgent need for sustained pressure and basic service delivery for these gains to continue.

Nearly 2 million Haitians face emergency-level food insecurity, and health facilities have struggled amid cholera outbreaks. Violence has led to the closure of roughly 1,600 schools, and extreme weather events, including hurricanes, floods, droughts, and earthquakes, have devastated and hindered the country’s ability to recover and develop. Groups like Human Rights Watch have urged the international community to commit more funding and personnel to help stabilize the nation.

Speaking on the situation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said:

I remain deeply concerned by the continued use of sexual violence by gangs, which terrorizes communities and systematically undermines the safety and dignity of women and girls. Security enforcement efforts alone will not be enough to address the broader governance problems that triggered the gang violence crisis.

The transitional government was created after a violent siege of capital city Port-au-Prince in early 2024. A Kenyan-led mission was dispatched to curb gang activity, but failed to make significant progress due to understaffing and underfunding.

The UN indicated that further provisions for voter registration, overseas voter participation, and women’s representation could increase inclusivity in the country’s transition if effectively implemented under the continued work of the GSF and broad global aid commitments. Humanitarian efforts in Haiti rank among the least-funded globally.