Haitian gangs have intensified their attacks in the capital, killing two women and displacing around 5,000 people.
The violence, which has escalated in recent months, is deepening the humanitarian, security, and political crises in Haiti.
The attacks were carried out by gangs under the "Viv Ansanm" ("Living Together") coalition in the southern Solano district of Port-au-Prince. According to the agency's report, the women were killed inside their homes, with gang violence leaving homes and vehicles burnt.
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Attacks in Solino continued into Monday, with enormous plumes of smoke seen rising from the neighborhood as homes were set ablaze.
In addition to the assaults in Solino, gangs targeted a school in L'Estere, killing a parent and injuring several students. Earlier in October, another gang attack in the town of Pont-Sonde claimed the lives of at least 109 people and left over 40 wounded.
Despite the presence of a UN-backed multinational mission led by Kenya aimed at bolstering Haiti’s overwhelmed police force, gang violence remains rampant. The mission, which started deploying in the summer, has yet to reach its goal of 2,500 officers, leaving gangs in control of 80% of Port-au-Prince and critical routes across the country.
Since January, over 3,661 people have been killed due to gang violence, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The violence has also displaced more than 700,000 people, half of whom are children, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), further aggravating the country’s deteriorating humanitarian situation.
