ISTANBUL

At least 70 people were killed and more than 30 wounded in a gang "massacre" in Haiti's Artibonite region, two rights organizations said, as nearly 6,000 residents fled attacks on the towns of Jean Denis and Pont Sonde.

Garry Doriscat, communications officer for Defenders Plus, said the attacks were "flagrant violations of the right to life and security," accusing the Haitian government of "revolting passivity" amounting to "blatant complicity."

More than 50 homes were reduced to ashes, he added in a statement with Kolektif pou Sove Latibonit (KSL), with displaced families fleeing to surrounding towns in "inhumane destitution."

The two organizations demanded immediate intervention to protect civilians, warning that impunity could "no longer be the state's response to the bloodshed."

Haiti's National Police said officers, supported by Kenyan Gang Suppression Force personnel, intervened Sunday morning after the "Gran Grif" gang attacked Jean Denis. The gang had dug trenches and blocked roads to delay police, buying time to kill and burn before fleeing. Police confirmed 16 deaths and 10 wounded in their official count, far below the toll cited by rights groups.

Security forces have since restored order and are continuing operations to pursue remaining gang members in surrounding areas, it said.

The massacre is the latest bout of bloodshed in a country that has been gripped by gang violence and political instability for years. The crisis deepened following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, after which rival armed groups steadily expanded their grip on the country, eventually seizing an estimated 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and forcing then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign in April 2024.

Haitian businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime was sworn in as interim prime minister in November 2024, replacing Garry Conille following a government reorganization amid the worsening security situation.

Around 5.5 million people are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, according to aid agencies, as the country grapples with civil unrest, disease, economic collapse and near-total insecurity.