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The political and security situation in Haiti is particularly unstable. The uncontrolled and illicit possession of weapons and ammunition by civilians directly contributes to the high rates of crime in the country,1 and the level of armed violence perpetrated by gangs and non-state armed groups is especially high in the capital, Port-au-Prince.2 The weapons and ammunition possessed by these groups are also reportedly smuggled into the country mostly from the United States3 and are sometimes funded by the country’s elite groups and wealthy families.4

In terms of weapons and ammunition management, Haiti received assistance from the UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC),5 the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS),6 the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and subsequently the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH)  – both of which completed their mandates, which notably included enhancing the country's ammunition disposal capacities.7 Haiti also adopted the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap in 2019 and began to establish a national action plan to enhance its weapons and ammunition management capacities.


1 “Small Arms and Light Weapons: Report of the Secretary-General,” UN Security Council, S/2019/1011, para. 14, https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2019_1011.pdf.

2 Athena R. Kolbe, “Prospects for Post-Minustah Security in Haiti,” International Peacekeeping 27, no. 1 (2020): 44-57, DOI: 10.1080/13533312.2020.1711557.

3 Brian Ellsworth, “U.S. reports spike in weapons smuggling to Haiti and the Caribbean,” Swiss Info, August 17, 2022, https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/u-s--reports-spike-in-weapons-smuggling-to-haiti-and-the-caribbean/47834232.

4 Kolbe, “Prospects for Post-Minustah Security in Haiti.”

5 UNLIREC, “Haiti Addresses Goal 4 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap during Round Table Meeting to Advance its National Action Plan,” April 21, 2022, https://unlirec.org/en/haiti-addresses-goal-4-of-the-caribbean-firearms-roadmap-during-round-table-meeting-to-advance-its-national-action-plan/.

6 MINUSTAH, "Des policiers haïtiens formés à la gestion des armes obsolètes," July 1, 2014, https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/des-policiers-ha-tiens-form-s-la-gestion-des-armes-obsol-tes.

7 MINUSTAH, "La PNH armée aussi pour détruire armes à feu et munitions obsolètes," January 21, 2015, https://minustah.unmissions.org/la-pnh-arm%C3%A9e-aussi-pour-d%C3%A9truire-armes-%C3%A0-feu-et-munitions-obsol%C3%A8tes.

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Map of Haiti

Further information

Accidental explosions

Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, no accidental explosions have been reported in Haiti.


Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.

Cases of diversion

Insufficient information on cases of diversion in Haiti.

Disposal

To decrease the above-mentioned risks of accidental explosions and diversion, Haiti has disposed of its ammunition since 2013.

Table 1. Disposal of tonnes of ammunition in Haiti

Year

Tonnes of ammunition

2021

N/A

2020

N/A

2019

N/A

2018

N/A

2017

N/A

2016

N/A

2015

N/A

2014

N/A

2013

7.53

Source: MINUSTAH, “Security: 8.3 tons of munition destroyed at Ganthier,” December 20, 2013, https://minustah.unmissions.org/security-83-tons-munition-destroyed-ganthiers%C3%A9curit%C3%A9-83-tonnes-de-munitions-d%C3%A9truites-cette-semaine.

Needs

No needs have been reported for Haiti.

Published Date: Friday 3 of November 2023