Haiti Declares 3-month State of Emergency as Gangs Ravage Country’s Central Region

Haiti Declares 3-month State of Emergency as Gangs Ravage Country’s Central Region
Newly-appointed police chief Vladimir Paraison (L) salutes Transitional Council President Laurent Saint-Cyr during his presentation ceremony as the new interim police chief in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Aug. 8, 2025. Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Haiti’s government announced Saturday that it is implementing a three-month state of emergency in the country’s central region as gang violence surges.

The measure will cover Haiti’s West, Artibonite, and Center departments “to continue the fight against insecurity and respond to the agricultural and food crisis,” according to a government statement.