Aug 16, 2026 Features / Columnists, Ronald Sanders

(Kaieteur News) – Haiti’s plight must not be forgotten because it is no longer a regular feature of international headlines. The suffering has not diminished. Between January and early June 2026, at least 2,310 people were killed, 1,106 were injured and 99 were kidnapped, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It also reported that 699 women and girls were victims of sexual violence, and that almost 1.47 million people had been displaced within Haiti by May.

These figures should disturb the conscience of every nation. They also point to a truth that governments must now confront. Force alone cannot restore order. The gangs’ money, weapons and trafficking routes must be cut off, and those who finance, supply and protect them must be pursued.