MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Three-month state of emergency declared in parts of Haiti

Over 1,000 people have been killed and 620 kidnapped between October 2024 and the end of June 2025

Haiti's government has declared a three-month state of emergency in the West, Artibonite, and Centre departments to address a surge in gang violence and the resulting food crisis. This measure is intended to mobilize state resources more effectively to restore order and security.

“Insecurity has harmful consequences for both the lives of citizens and the various sectors of activity in the country. Given the magnitude of this crisis, it is imperative to declare a major mobilization of state resources and institutional means,” the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.

According to UN reports, the violence in these regions has been severe, with over 1,000 people killed and 620 kidnapped between October 2024 and the end of June 2025. This has also led to the displacement of more than 239,000 people.

The state of emergency was announced after the inauguration of the new president of the Presidential Transition Council (see also: https://en.mercopress.com/2025/08/09/haiti-s-presidential-transition-council-has-new-president) and the appointment of Andre Jonas Vladimir Paraison as the new interim director of the Haitian National Police. “We, the police, will not sleep,” Paraison said. ”We will provide security across every corner of the country.”

Paraison's appointment “responds to the need to mobilize the police's human, material, and logistical resources more effectively to restore order, security, and peace,” the Prime Minister's Office added. Paraison previously served as head of security of Haiti’s National Palace, and he was on duty when former President Jovenel Moïse was killed in July 2021. Paraison replaced Normil Rameau, who was at odds with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, noting the police's underfunding.