By Uguenson Auguste, Vant Bèf Info, June 8, 2026
Intermittent drone attacks in certain areas of the metropolitan area are worsening living conditions for residents. Areas such as Avenue Magloire Ambroise, Rue Nicolas and Rue Oswald Durand, Portail Léogâne, and the Bicentenaire district are among the most affected.
In the early hours of Monday, June 8, 2026, the Vant Bèf Info (VBI) newsroom met with a father of three in Delmas who described the ordeal endured by those still living in these neighborhoods, now largely controlled by armed gangs.
"All day long, the children cry and live in fear when the forces involved in security operations launch explosive drones. In many cases, these devices miss their intended targets, and unarmed civilians pay the price," he recounted.
This situation is also affecting the functioning of schools. Schools are struggling to maintain their activities regularly, and students, confined to their homes, do not have the necessary conditions to continue their studies smoothly.
In the Bicentennial district, the traces of violence are visible on every street corner. Bullet-riddled walls, burned-out houses, or houses transformed into hideouts for armed groups testify to the scale of the crisis. Commercial activity is practically nonexistent. Street vendors have deserted the area in search of safer zones.
The resident interviewed also claims to have witnessed particularly shocking scenes, including mangled bodies following explosions attributed to drones.
Faced with this reality, even religious exppresion is affected. Attendance at places of worship has decreased considerably, with many worshippers preferring to avoid traveling. Lacking sufficient financial resources, however, many families remain trapped in these neighborhoods. This father, a professional and hardworking man, is now considering leaving the area where he grew up.
Drone attacks raise human rights concerns
Operations carried out using explosive drones also continue to raise concerns among human rights organizations.
Reacting to data published by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) concerning the number of deaths and injuries recorded during security operations against armed gangs, including those involving drones sometimes allegedly operated by a private military company, Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said:
“The use of armed drones in densely populated urban areas sets a worrying precedent in Haiti and exposes the population, especially children, to direct danger. It likely leads to extrajudicial killings. The Haitian authorities must prevent their unlawful use and clarify who is deploying these drones and under what legal framework.”
Similarly, according to Human Rights Watch, explosive drone attacks carried out with the alleged support of private military companies resulted in the deaths of 1,247 people between March 2025 and January 2026 in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Among the victims were 17 children and 43 adults unaffiliated with any criminal groups.
After more than fifteen months of implementing this security strategy, several observers believe that armed gangs continue to maintain their operational capacity. Kidnappings, extortion, and vehicle hijackings remain frequent in several areas of the country.
Despite these findings, Haitian authorities claim to be making progress in the fight against insecurity and mention a gradual improvement in the security situation, both in the capital and in several other departments of the country.
Posted June 13, 2026