©️Pierre Michel Jean/AFP
Port-au-Prince, October 2, 2025.- Between 270,000 and 500,000 illegal firearms are currently circulating in Haiti, according to a recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. These alarming figures illustrate the magnitude of traffic, which has become one of the main drivers of the country's security crisis.
This proliferation considerably strengthens the power of armed gangs, which in several areas exceed state authority. Abductions, murderous clashes, extortion: weapons have become the central tool of a climate of terror that paralyzes people and hinders any economic activity.
The security forces, poorly equipped and few, struggle to cope. The United Nations calls for a rapid and coordinated response, including enhanced border control, regional and international cooperation and active dismantling of traffic networks.
The majority of these weapons are not produced locally. They come largely from the United States, transiting by sea or via other Caribbean islands, exploiting corruption and loopholes in customs systems. Others come from embezzlement within official arsenaux or private security companies.
Without a sustainable national strategy or strong international support, Haiti will remain exposed to a flow of weapons that fuel structural violence. Stopping this traffic requires firm action, real political commitment and a joint mobilization of regional partners to restore order and hope.
W.E.
