ARTIBONITE: THE NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS MULTIPLIES, ACCORDING TO IOM

Armed gangs operating in the Artibonite department have become increasingly violent, intensifying their offensive on communes in the region, never before controlled by gangs.

The situation is indeed becoming very difficult and complex, according to testimonies from local organizations and actors, who have developed a series of strategies in recent weeks to assess the damage caused by terrorist groups in Liancourt and the commune of l’Estère.

Plagued by violence, a considerable percentage of families have had to flee their homes to protect themselves. Without any security coverage, without a specific place, thousands of displaced persons have been counted as part of a field survey conducted by the IOM organization, which communicated figures associated with the number of women, children, and vulnerable families who moved away from their homes during the period from October 14 to 17, 2025.

The figures communicated by the said organization report 9,000 displaced persons in Artibonite since the launch of the latest offensives by the criminal coalition Viv Ansanm and its allies.

According to IOM, 8,954 people have abandoned their homes in two communes, namely Liancourt and Verrettes.

The report in question specifies that 2,080 displaced families are in an alarming situation due to the abuses of armed bandits who are determined to take overall control of the region since the death of Wilfort Ferdinand.

Representing approximately 62%, a considerable number of internally displaced persons from Liancourt and Verettes have taken refuge with relatives in the most remote communal sections, concludes the IOM report.

Given the deteriorating security climate in the department, no concrete signal has been sent so far, despite changes having been made at the departmental leadership level of the police institution.

Citizens living in various communes in the region continue to sound the alarm and demand that the country's highest authorities adopt measures that can facilitate the establishment of a serene and stable security climate.

Meanwhile, consultations continue among key actors working in various organizations to strengthen protest movements against the laxity of the current government which, according to them, has no recovery plan in mind to address the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Jacques Innocent