Residents and local officials said the violence began early Sunday in rural communities around Jean-Denis and continued into Monday morning
At least 70 people have been killed and 30 others injured in an attack near Petite-Rivière in Haiti’s Artibonite region, the country’s main agricultural area, according to a human rights group far higher than official estimates, which put the death toll at around 16.
Residents and local officials said the violence began early Sunday in rural communities around Jean-Denis and continued into Monday morning.
Armed gang members reportedly stormed the area, setting homes on fire and attacking residents.
The rights group Défenseurs Plus estimated that about 6,000 people have been displaced by the violence.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said more than 2,000 people had already fled their homes in the days leading up to the attack due to nearby gang raids.
Initial police reports listed 16 people dead and 10 injured. A preliminary report from civil protection authorities put the toll slightly higher, at 17 dead and 19 wounded—most of them men.
A spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said the organization’s office in Haiti, BINUH, is closely monitoring the situation, noting that casualty estimates range from 10 to 80 deaths.
He called for a full and thorough investigation.
In a joint statement, Défenseurs Plus and the Collective to Save the Artibonite accused authorities of failing to respond adequately, saying the region has effectively been abandoned to armed groups.
An audio message circulating on social media has been linked to Luckson Elan, leader of the Gran Grif gang. In it, he appears to describe the attack as retaliation for earlier assaults on the group’s base in Savien by a rival faction.
Artibonite, a key farming region, has become one of the hardest-hit areas by Haiti’s escalating gang violence.
The unrest has spread beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince, despite increased policing efforts and promises of additional international support.
Haiti’s National Police said they deployed three armoured vehicles, but their progress was slowed by trenches dug into the roads by gang members.
By the time officers arrived, the attackers had fled and several homes had already been burned.
The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, while the bodies of the victims were moved to two morgues.
Police added that operations are ongoing to track down those responsible.
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