Published on 6/17/2026
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres asked for forgiveness from women displaced by gang violence in Haiti, expressing his deep regret for his inability to mobilize the international community to alleviate their worsening humanitarian suffering.
This came during a solidarity visit made by Guterres on Tuesday to the capital, Port-au-Prince, where he met in a former school housing more than 1,250 displaced people – in a site called “Colombia” – with women who recounted the details of their harsh lives during the past two years.
One displaced woman, who arrived at the site in November 2024 with her four children after losing everything, described the stifling living conditions in crowded rooms that lack privacy and are infested with insects, as well as the deprivation of children from education.
In response to these painful testimonies, Guterres said: “I ask you for forgiveness for not being able to mobilize the international community,” stressing that his presence aims primarily to listen to their suffering, and expressing his regret that the United Nations humanitarian aid plan for 2026, estimated at $880 million, has received only less than a quarter of the required funding.
Struggle for survival
In a press conference following the meeting, the Secretary-General stressed that “for many Haitians every day is a struggle for survival,” stressing that “the world has no right to turn a blind eye,” describing the international community’s indifference to the crisis in Haiti as the greatest shame.
Haiti, which is considered one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean, suffers from structural economic, political, and security crises, which have worsened sharply in recent years, as United Nations data indicate that there are about 1.5 million displaced people due to the brutality of gangs that commit murder, kidnapping, rape, and forced recruitment of children. The country is facing a stifling food crisis that affects half of the population of about 11 million people.
On the security level, United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk reported on Monday that gang violence has resulted in the killing of at least 2,300 people since the beginning of the year, the injury of 1,100 others, and the recording of 99 kidnappings.
It is noteworthy that the UN Security Council agreed last September to establish a gang suppression force, aiming to gradually replace the previous multinational mission to support the Haitian police, which faced widespread criticism due to its weak effectiveness.
