Haiti plunged into deepening violence as drone fatalities and gang activity increases

Haiti has entered a severe humanitarian crisis marked by rising gang violence and a 120 percent increase in drone attacks, according to Ciarán Donnelly of the International Rescue Committee. The situation has placed the country on the International Rescue Committee’s 2026 emergency watch list.

Donnelly reported that an estimated 1,200 civilians, including 17 children, have died in drone attacks this year. These attacks involve small, inexpensive quadcopter drones fitted with explosives that function as improvised explosive devices. These drones have exploded in public areas, killing people while they shop or near children.

In the capital, Port-au-Prince, gangs control approximately 90 percent of the city's territory. Amidst this violence, about half of Haiti's 6.4 million people require humanitarian assistance, and many face limited access to healthcare.