UN officials told the Security Council on Monday 19 October that armed gangs in Haiti killed more than 1,000 people and abducted more than 100 between July and September. The Gang Suppression Force is at roughly a third of its authorised strength, and the Council heard that its personnel are now being targeted.
What the UN heard
Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, said gangs are increasingly resorting to retaliatory attacks, hostage-taking and intimidation to undermine State authority. Sexual violence, he said, remained rampant.
Jack Christofides, the Special Representative for the Gang Suppression Force, said the Force now exceeds 2,000 personnel from six countries, just over one third of its authorised strength. He warned: "sending soldiers and police forward without the right tools puts both our personnel and Haitian civilians at risk". He also said the Force is removing gang barricades and seizing weapons, and that gangs are "testing" it with attacks and reprisals against communities.
El Salvador's delegate told the Council that four Salvadoran aviation technicians serving with the Force were ambushed outside Port-au-Prince the previous day by heavily armed criminal groups using firearms and explosive devices, and that their vehicle was set on fire. Helicopters sent to support them also came under attack. At the time of the meeting, she said, efforts continued to establish contact with the technicians and determine their whereabouts. The UK statement also referred to attacks on Salvadoran members of the Force "this weekend".
France's representative told the Council that 5,700 people have been killed since the start of 2026, with 1.5 million displaced and 5.8 million facing acute food insecurity. The UK's Permanent Representative said almost 700 women and girls reported rape by gangs in July and August alone, 87 per cent of them collective rape.
On politics, Massieu said electoral preparations have progressed further than at any point in over a decade, with more than 35 political parties and groupings and 3,500 candidates registered. He also said changes to eligibility rules for sanctioned candidates have sparked controversy, and cautioned that repeatedly announcing election dates without a feasibility assessment weakens the credibility of Haitian institutions.
What the FCDO says
The FCDO advises against all travel to Haiti and says there are no British consular officials in the country. Its Safety and security page describes a high threat of criminal kidnap in any part of the country at any time, particularly across the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and the major roads in and out of it. It says kidnappers regularly use other vehicles or improvised barriers to stop traffic and snatch people at gunpoint, and that public transport is targeted as well as private vehicles. It also says missionary and humanitarian aid workers are viewed as legitimate targets. The Haiti and Dominican Republic border is closed to travellers.
This post does not report a new FCDO change. The advice is included because the UN account of barricades, hostage-taking and ambushes points the same way.
What it means for operators
These are Ops Con planning points, not UN or FCDO guidance.
Treat road movement as the exposure. Both the UN account of barricades and ambushes and the FCDO's description of vehicle stops point to the vehicle, the route and the time of day as the main variables. Plan to avoid movement on major routes, and have a defined fallback if a route is blocked.
Do not assume an international or security-force presence changes the risk to civilians in the area. The Council heard that gangs are attacking the Force itself, and that retaliation against communities follows security operations.
Expect the security picture to move faster than the advice. The Force's expansion, the electoral timetable and the gang response to both will drive the next change. Re-check the FCDO page and the Council's reporting before each task.
