A human rights organization reported that at least 70 people died and 30 others were injured in a gang attack in Haiti's Artibonite region on Sunday, a toll far exceeding initial official figures. The Collective Defending Human Rights group described the incident as a massacre after armed members of the Gran Grif gang stormed the Jean-Denis neighborhood near Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite around 3 a.m., setting homes ablaze and forcing nearly 6,000 residents to flee.

Haiti's National Police initially announced 16 deaths and 10 injuries, while civil protection authorities estimated 17 killed and 19 wounded. Activists from groups like Défenseurs Plus and the Commission for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Awareness to Save the Artibonite cited ground reports placing the death toll at 70 or higher, with dozens more missing. The violence reportedly continued into Monday as the gang clashed with local vigilantes in the area.

Artibonite, Haiti's agricultural breadbasket, has faced escalating gang incursions as criminal groups expand beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince. The Gran Grif gang, designated a terrorist organization by the United States with a $3 million reward for information on its leaders, has been blamed for previous mass killings, including over 70 deaths in Pont-Sondé in October 2024. United Nations data indicates Gran Grif is responsible for 80% of civilian deaths in the region.

The attack highlights the deepening security crisis in Haiti, where gangs control areas home to one in four residents, according to a recent UN report. Between March 2025 and January 2026, at least 5,519 people were killed amid spreading violence, displacing over one million nationwide since 2021 and killing nearly 20,000 in total. Haitian security forces, supported by a UN-backed multinational mission and U.S. contractors, have conducted raids killing dozens of gang members this year but have yet to capture major leaders.

A UN spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the assault, stating it underscored the gravity of Haiti's security situation and calling for a full investigation. The human rights collective criticized authorities for neglecting their responsibility to protect civilians, allowing armed groups to dominate the region. As of Monday, the area remained under gang control with roadblocks, leaving it largely deserted.