In March 2024, armed gangs stormed two of the largest prisons in Haiti leading to the release of nearly 5,000 inmates. The gangs demanded the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. A 72 hour state of emergency was declared, however, on March 12, 2024 the Haitian prime minister Henry indicated his resignation was imminent following the developing security crisis in the country. 

UN News has suggested ‘The situation in the gang-ravaged capital of Haiti has gone from worrying to “extremely alarming” as conditions in Port-au-Prince continue to worsen amid growing hunger and serious shortages in hospitals to treat gunshot victims, said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator there on Thursday.“It’s important we don’t let the violence spill over from the capital into the country,” said Ulrika Richardson, briefing journalists at UN Headquarters via videolink from Haiti.She said orchestrated gang attacks on prisons, ports, hospitals and the palace have unfolded over the past weeks, but in the past few days these heavily armed groups have been advancing into new areas of the capital.“There is human suffering at an alarming scale,”’ (UN News.2024) As the experts suggest, the situation in the Haitian capital is escalating at an alarming rate. The city has descended into anarchy and there is a danger of the growing humaniatrian crisis spiralling out of control. Some figures UN News have released detail ‘a total of 5.5 million Haitians [need] assistance, more than three million of them children. Food security remains a grave concern, with malnutrition being reported in a growing number of youngsters. In addition, 45 per cent of Haitians do not have access to clean water.Around 1.4 million Haitians are “one step away from famine”, she warned, calling for urgent support for the humanitarian response plan, which requires $674 million but is only six per cent funded.’ (UN News.2024) As the figures suggest, the Haitian population is at risk of increasing turmoil unless urgent aid is supplied to the nation. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians have already been displaced and there is a real possibility of a refugee crisis emerging in the region. If the situation continues to deteriorate a UN peacekeeping operation may have to be deployed. 

Amnesty International has called ‘on all states in the Americas, and in particular the governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic, to put an end to racist policies and practices and to ensure that Haitian nationals are not turned back at the border and have access to a fair and effective asylum procedure. States must suspend returns to Haiti, as conditions in the country are putting the lives and safety of Haitian nationals at risk.“The international community must provide immediate humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of those who have been displaced and affected by the violence. We can only start building a lasting solution for Haiti through an approach that prioritizes dialogue with civil society and key political actors, leadership by affected communities, and an international response focused on respect for human rights,” said Ana Piquer.’ (Amnesty International.2024) As Amnesty International has suggested, an immediate provision of humanitarian assistance from the international community is a necessity amid the growing humanitarian crisis in the region. Furthermore, efforts must be made to reinstate the deposed president Henry, who has left the nation without an elected leader. At present the power vacuum that has been left is being filled by violent Haitian gangs wreaking havoc across the nation. International powers such as the US have the capacity to apply pressure on the Haitian gangs to stand down and reinstate prime minister Ariel Henry, however, it is unlikely the nation will intervene in the conflict unless compelled to through a UNPKO.