Security Council told Haiti's elections are on hold and the Gang Suppression Force has 1,563 of 5,550 authorised personnel

19 October 2026

The United Nations told the Security Council that armed groups in Haiti are adapting to intensified security operations, stepping up reprisals against civilians and extending their reach into rural areas. The briefing came two weeks after presidential and legislative elections planned for 13 December were postponed indefinitely. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the UN's senior official in the country, cautioned against setting new dates without a realistic assessment of whether a vote can be held. Between July and early October, 1,123 Haitians were killed and 440 injured in gang-related violence, and 689 women and girls were reported raped by gang members in July and August. Security force operations accounted for 52 per cent of Haitians killed or wounded since the beginning of July, or 808 people, including 148 not associated with gangs. An attack on 23 and 24 August at Kenscoff, southeast of Port-au-Prince, killed at least 47 people, wounded 22 and saw 52 taken hostage. As of 12 October the Security Council-authorised Gang Suppression Force had 1,563 uniformed members against the 5,550 authorised, and has set up a base in the Artibonite region.