Haiti's forced returns top 200,000 as gang violence surges, U.N. says

Aug 28 (Reuters) - Nearly 200,000 people have been forcibly returned to Haiti in the first eight months of this year, a senior U.N. official told an emergency Security Council meeting on Friday, days after a gang attack near the capital killed almost 50 people.

Indrika Ratwatte, acting assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said the number was at least 20,000 higher than in the same period last year. The returns have deepened the strain on a country already grappling with displacement, hunger and gang-controlled neighborhoods.

Sunday night's assault in the hillside community of Kenscoff came days after Haiti received its first U.S. deportation flight since the Trump administration won a court fight to end Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitians. Another flight arrived Thursday carrying migrants from the United States and the Bahamas.

Haitian security analysts have warned that a steady flow of illegal weapons is making the conflict worse. More than 21,000 people have been killed since 2022, and the U.N. estimates most guns in Haiti come from the southeastern United States, many trafficked through the porous border with the Dominican Republic.

Ratwatte briefed the council alongside Carlos Ruiz, head of the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Ruiz cautioned that without improved security, efforts to move toward the country's first elections in a decade remain "severely constrained and vulnerable to setbacks."

Ruiz said three boys and two girls were among the 47 people killed in Kenscoff, where houses were set on fire and residents who tried to flee were attacked inside a church. "This latest heartbreaking episode is a stark reminder of the urgent need to further strengthen international security support for Haiti," he said.

The attack has sharpened debate among diplomats, who argued it underscored the need to speed up deployment of the U.N.-backed multinational force known as the Gang Suppression Force. Haiti first requested foreign military assistance in 2022, but the response was slow. A year ago, the Security Council mandated a larger and more aggressive force, the GSF, which is expected to reach a full strength of 5,500 personnel by the fall. The council is due to vote on renewing its mandate at the end of September.

U.S. Representative Jennifer Locetta called on the council to renew the mandate, arguing the force must do more than operate from secure positions. "The GSF was not created to issue statements from within a compound wall or spend our money while Haiti suffers," she said. She added that additional material support from more countries could help police fight gangs more effectively.

A representative for the Haitian government said Chad, Mongolia and Ivory Coast have agreed to support the force, and similar agreements were being pursued with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Jamaica and Guatemala. Jamaica and Guatemala had already contributed personnel to the earlier mission.