Haiti is spiraling deeper into crisis as armed gangs tighten their grip on the nation, spreading chaos beyond the capital and displacing over one million residents. The country is now facing a looming famine, with the United Nations warning that more than half of the population could face acute food insecurity by June.
The administration of President Donald Trump has notified Congress of its intention to designate Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as foreign terrorist organizations, marking a significant shift in how the U.S. defines and responds to international terrorism. Traditionally, such designations were reserved for extremist groups like al-Qaeda or ISIS.
Viv Ansanm (meaning “We Live Together”) is a coalition of more than 12 gangs, formed in 2023. It has gained notoriety for violent offensives in Port-au-Prince, where gangs now control approximately 85% of the capital. The political structure of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is nearly nonfunctional.
Gran Grif, part of the Viv Ansanm coalition, carried out a brutal attack in October on the town of Pont-Sondé, killing over 70 people—one of the deadliest massacres in the nation’s recent history.
According to the UN, more than 5,600 Haitians were killed in gang-related violence in 2023 alone. As gangs expand into rural regions, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate rapidly.
With food supplies dwindling, mass famine now threatens a population already pushed to the edge.
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