Over 50 Killed in Haiti Gang Attacks, Bodies ‘Devoured by Dogs’: Rights Group

A local human rights NGO has reported that over 50 people were killed in a series of gang attacks in Haiti last week, marking the latest gruesome mass killing in the crisis-hit Caribbean nation.

Details of the Attacks

• The incidents occurred on 11 and 12 September 2025, in areas north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH).
• The NGO reported: “As of 14 September 2025, several victims had still not been found, while corpses still lay in the bushes, devoured by dogs.”

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been plagued by escalating violence, with vast areas of the country and most of Port-au-Prince under the control of armed gangs.

Background and Escalation

Specifics of the Cabaret-Laboderie Attack

• The “Viv Ansanm” gang coalition, which has controlled Cabaret since March 2024, reportedly carried out an “extremely cruel massacre against the civilian population” in the nearby town of Laboderie, situated 25 km (15.5 miles) north of Port-au-Prince.
• According to RNDDH:
  • Over 50 people were murdered.
  • Dozens of homes were set on fire.
  • A few survivors fled to neighbouring areas, while others escaped by sea in boats.

UN Response

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last month that “state authority is crumbling” in Haiti.
• He told the Security Council that violence has spread beyond the capital, with gangs controlling over 90% of Port-au-Prince.
• On Sunday, Guterres condemned the Cabaret commune attack and urged nations to expedite efforts to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission, providing logistics, personnel, and funding.

Human Cost

• According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haiti during the first half of 2025.

Haiti remains engulfed in escalating violence, with armed gangs continuing to dominate large swathes of territory, posing a severe humanitarian and security crisis.