🇭🇹 HAITI STABILITY INDEX

Haiti is in a state of near-total state collapse with gangs controlling an estimated 85–90% of Port-au-Prince. The dominant gang federation Viv Ansanm (Live Together) — a coalition of the G9 and G-Pèp — controls key infrastructure including roads, ports, and neighborhoods. Gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier has emerged as a de facto power broker.

Violence levels are among the highest recorded anywhere in the world. Massacres, kidnappings for ransom, sexual violence, and forced displacement are routine. The healthcare system has collapsed in gang-controlled areas.

Haiti has had no elected president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. A Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) was established in 2024 under international pressure, but governance remains deeply fragmented. The Haitian National Police (PNH) is overwhelmed, underfunded, and frequently outgunned by gang forces.

Elections have been repeatedly postponed. No functioning electoral authority or electoral roll exists. The path to constitutional governance is deeply unclear.

Kenya leads a UN-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission deployed in 2024 to assist Haiti's security forces. The mission has faced significant operational challenges including gang ambushes, logistics difficulties, and funding shortfalls. The U.S. has provided funding and logistical support.

Limitations: The MSS mission is authorized for approximately 2,500 personnel — far below what security analysts estimate is needed to meaningfully shift the security environment. Gang forces have adapted tactics to challenge the mission.

Haiti faces a catastrophic humanitarian emergency. Over 5 million people — nearly half the population — face acute food insecurity. Cholera has re-emerged. More than 700,000 people are internally displaced. Access for humanitarian organizations is severely constrained by gang control of roads and distribution networks.

Natural disaster vulnerability remains extreme. The 2010 earthquake killed over 200,000 people; the 2021 earthquake killed over 2,000 more. Haiti sits on major fault lines and in the Atlantic hurricane belt, with no adequate disaster response infrastructure.