UN Report Counts 1,167 Deaths in Haiti Amid El Salvador Military Surge
Salvadoran forces are credited with recent gains against gangs, while a new UN document details rising casualties from security operations in Port-au-Prince.
By Chinedu Schneider ·
A UN report released Thursday confirmed that at least 1,167 people were killed and 459 injured in Haiti between July and September 2026. The document attributes more than half of that violence to ground and aerial operations conducted by security forces against gangs. These operations sometimes included support from a private military company using drones. The report also described ongoing sexual violence and bloody turf wars in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, Artibonite, and South-East departments.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime called the situation a victory this week. He credited the commitment of Salvadoran forces in the fight against gangs. President Nayib Bukele stated that a joint task force destroyed the headquarters of the 400 Mawozo gang. Bukele also shared a video on social media that appeared to show helicopters firing at a large property. He described the target as the house of Lanmo San Jou.
Salvadoran troops have been deployed in Haiti since the start of 2025. The distance between the two nations is nearly 2,000 kilometers. Last month, Bukele sent more than 2,000 additional troops and special forces. The official reason was to search for four Salvadorans who were ambushed on October 18 and remain missing. Fils-Aime said both nations are working with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force to regain control of the territory and restore state authority.
Critics question the clarity of the mission. Jake Johnston, a Haiti expert at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told The New Humanitarian that coordination between distinct entities is a huge concern. He noted that El Salvador is framing the actions as their own choice. Romain LeCour Grandmaison, a researcher at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, argued that Haiti lacks the conditions to replicate the Salvadoran model. He pointed out that Haiti emptied its prisons in 2024 and its justice system is largely paralyzed.
LeCour Grandmaison said criminal groups in Haiti resemble militias more than gangs. He described them as having territory, taxes, weapons of war, and political networks. He also noted that the United States plays a central but discreet role in public life in El Salvador. Deportations of migrants from the US to El Salvador rose by 98 percent at the start of 2026. This increase occurred during Donald Trump’s second term, a period when relations between Washington and San Salvador improved.
Trump offered his support to Bukele in November. He told Bukele, “Look, you're running your country. You have to do what you have to do.” This endorsement provided latitude for the Salvadoran president to act as he sees fit to protect his troops and national security. The UN Gang Suppression Force has operated in Haiti since 2016, yet the specific role of El Salvador remains under scrutiny.
