In Haiti, 70 people were killed and 30 others injured in a brutal armed gang attack in the Artibonite region. According to human rights organisations, the attack has been described as one of the worst in recent times in the violence-plagued region. The massacre has forced more than 6,000 residents to flee their homes. In a strongly worded statement, the rights group criticised the lack of timely security response, saying it showed a clear neglect of responsibility by the authorities to protect civilians in the Artibonite region. The spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack during a media briefing. The assault was carried out by members of the Gran Grif gang in the Jean-Denis area on Sunday. 

 

Earlier this month, the United States offered a reward of up to 3 million dollars for information on the financial operations of the Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm groups, both of which have been designated as terrorist organisations by Washington. Gang violence across Haiti has displaced more than one million people, severely worsened food security, and caused nearly 20,000 deaths in recent years.