In our letter, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) and the Embassies of its Member States accredited to Haiti (France, Germany, Spain, Belgium) express their deep dismay at the constant deterioration of the human rights situation in the neighborhoods of the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince under the influence of armed gangs, having caused in recent weeks hundreds of dead and missing and thousands of displaced https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37300-haiti-binuh-appalling-civilian-toll-of-the-gang-war.html

"Among the intolerable violations of fundamental freedoms suffered by the populations concerned (including the right to life), the EU Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States are deeply concerned by reports of acts of sexual violence. Among the victims, sometimes subjected to gang rapes, there would also be little girls and boys and teenagers https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37300-haiti-binuh-appalling-civilian-toll-of-the-gang-war.html . This specific type of violence which is used by armed gangs to instill terror, destroy the will to resist, obtain submission or displace populations, has irreparable and irreversible effects on the victims and globally on all local communities.

The EU Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States call for an immediate end to these repugnant acts, as well as to armed clashes and all acts of violence, in order to allow the victims to receive emergency care as well as essential humanitarian assistance.

The EU Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States urge the Haitian authorities to step up their efforts to put an immediate end to these unjustifiable human rights violations, by stepping up the fight against criminal gangs and bringing to justice all the perpetrators of these acts as well as the entities and people who support them.

We are deeply saddened by these acts of senseless violence and the enormous suffering caused to the victims and their families."

HL/ HaitiLibre