Human Rights Watch reports lethal drone strikes and possible extrajudicial executions in Haiti

A report by the international organization warns that security forces and private contractors carried out drone strikes in densely populated urban areas. The operations left hundreds of civilian casualties and could constitute extrajudicial executions, amid a deep institutional crisis.

The international organization dedicated to the defense of human rights stated that Haitian security forces, together with private contractors, carried out lethal drone strikes that appear to constitute violations of international law.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented that some strikes amount to deliberate extrajudicial executions and that they were carried out in densely populated urban areas. It also highlighted that the drones were armed with explosives that killed and injured dozens of people, including residents who are not members of criminal groups.

The report states that more than 1,200 people were killed in drone strikes in 141 operations between March 1, 2025, and January 21, 2026, including 43 people who were not part of criminal groups, as well as 17 children. The sources add that the strikes also injured around 738 people, 49 of whom were reportedly not members of criminal groups.

For her part, Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, warned that the Haitian authorities should urgently rein in the security forces and private contractors before more innocent people die in these strikes. 

According to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, the drone strikes are attributed to a Specialized Task Force established by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, which operates alongside the private military company Vectus Global. In addition, the U.S. ambassador to Haiti confirmed that the U.S. State Department granted Vectus Global a license to export defense services to Haiti.

HRW stated that any further use of this type of armed drone and of the various types of explosive munitions they carry must be fully assessed to determine the manner and circumstances in which these weapons could be used, taking into account international human rights standards.

The hope of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Alexander De Croo, UNDP Administrator, visited the country for the first time amid a critical security situation, since between January and November 2025 more than 8,100 Haitian men and women lost their lives.

Despite this scenario, De Croo stated that development and security must advance hand in hand as Haiti faces a year that could be transformative. He also highlighted the country’s young population, its diaspora and its entrepreneurs, who, according to him, are already building the country they want to see.

The UNDP Administrator also maintains that there is a limited window of opportunity to rebuild trust in institutions. In Haiti, more than half of the population requires assistance. However, the UNDP insists that security and development must be strengthened jointly and in a balanced way to overcome this reality.

Along these lines, Alexander De Croo warned that no investment, educational program or economic activity can fully develop in the country, since it is living in a context where people cannot move safely, businesses cannot operate normally and families live in fear every day.

The UN stresses that credible elections are the foundation for rebuilding Haiti as a nation, in the context following the transfer of authority to Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The country has not held elections in 10 years, has had no Parliament since 2019, and since January 2023, when the terms of its last sitting senators expired, has had no elected officials at any level of national government.

For its part, the UNDP stresses that it has never left the country, that it has been working in Haiti for more than five decades and that last year it invested 73 million dollars from the United States, an 80% increase over the previous year, with the aim of strengthening security, ensuring institutional continuity and, at the same time, making progress on stabilization and economic development. 

De Croo also insists that Haiti has great potential that is not recognized worldwide, and that it is key to ensuring that the future development of the Caribbean nation remains in local hands. At the same time, organizations insist that for all this to happen, the authorities must guarantee transparency and accountability in security matters. Development and security must go hand in hand. 
For its part, HRW urges the Haitian State to conduct thorough and independent investigations to reveal, to the greatest extent possible, the number and identity of the victims, and to provide adequate reparation where violations have occurred. Without this, no progress can be made toward a sustainable solution. 

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia