PORT-AU-PRINCE — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visited Haiti this week as a newly established international gang-suppression force prepares to begin operations against armed groups that have expanded their control across parts of the Caribbean nation, according to U.N. officials.
Guterres arrived in Port-au-Prince on June 16 for a one-day visit aimed at assessing Haiti’s worsening security and humanitarian situation. During the trip, he met Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, visited people displaced by violence, and toured facilities hosting the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force, the United Nations said.
The visit comes as Haiti faces escalating insecurity linked to heavily armed gangs. U.N. figures released this month show that more than 2,300 people have been killed and about 100 kidnapped in Haiti so far in 2026, while approximately 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes. The United Nations has said gangs control more than 70% of Port-au-Prince.
Speaking during the visit, Guterres said the suffering he witnessed underscored the urgency of international support for Haiti. According to U.N. officials, he met residents living in displacement shelters and heard accounts of deteriorating living conditions caused by the violence.
The new Gang Suppression Force was approved by the U.N. Security Council and is intended to replace a previous Kenyan-led security mission that struggled with funding and personnel shortages. The force is expected to work alongside the Haitian National Police and the country’s armed forces. Jamaica, Chad, El Salvador and Guatemala have contributed personnel, while additional deployments are expected in the coming months, according to U.N. officials.
During his visit, Guterres received briefings from U.N. personnel and force commanders on operational and logistical preparations. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the secretary-general reviewed support being provided under Security Council Resolution 2793 and discussed efforts to restore stability.
The security crisis has deepened political challenges in Haiti, which has not had a president since the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moïse. Prime Minister Fils-Aimé told reporters after meeting Guterres that the two held “a frank conversation about what's happening in Haiti” and discussed the government’s plans for the future.
As of Friday, the Gang Suppression Force was continuing preparations for operations expected to begin in the coming weeks, while U.N. officials said humanitarian assistance and support for Haitian institutions would continue. Details of the force’s initial deployments remain unclear.
