Haiti’s government has declared a three-month state of emergency in several regions of the country, responding to escalating gang violence. This decision greatly affects the West, Centre, and Artibonite departments. Artibonite is perhaps the most important, frequently referred to as Haiti’s “rice basket.” In recent months, Artibonite has experienced a dramatic spike in violent assaults by armed gangs, leading authorities to take drastic measures.
Haiti can hardly get worse after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. His sudden death plunged the country into further turmoil by creating a power vacuum, exacerbating potential sectarian conflict across the country. The current interim leadership includes Andre Jonas Vladimir Paraison, who has been appointed as the director of Haiti’s National Police. Paraison, the ex-director of the security for the National Palace, was accused of having been on duty when Moise was assassinated. The shooting happened at Moise’s home.
In his new role, Paraison fills the position previously held by Normil Rameau. Yet Rameau’s tenure lasted only a little over a year and was regularly plagued by challenges, including urgent reminders of the dangerous underfunding for the police force. Confronted with that violence spiraling upward, Paraison placed a premium on the speed of mobilizing state resources to help address the crisis.
“We, the police, will not sleep,” – Andre Jonas Vladimir Paraison
With Paraison at the helm, the police force’s priority is to bring peace and security back to areas that have been hard hit. The Transitional Presidential Council, led by wealthy businessman Laurent Saint-Cyr, is tasked with holding elections by February 2026, amidst growing concerns over public safety.
New numbers paint a bleak picture of the crisis. From October 2024 to incoming June 2025, violent clashes in the Artibonite and Centre departments directly killed more than 1,000 Haitians. At the same time, an estimated 620 people were kidnapped. Armed violence has fuelled a dramatic displacement emergency in Haiti. Consequently, more than 1.3 million people are now displaced from their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Officials acknowledge that insecurity has a devastating effect on both the everyday lives of citizens and a multitude of economic sectors.
“Insecurity has negative effects both on the lives of citizens and on the country’s different sectors of activity. Given the scale of this crisis, it is imperative to decree a major mobilisation of the state’s resources and institutional means to address it.”
Haiti is at a critical moment of danger and despair. The government’s declaration of a state of emergency is, in our opinion, an important step to retake control and return safety to its citizens.
