Haiti

Situation Summary

Haiti's security environment remains critically degraded, with armed gangs controlling an estimated 70–90% of Port-au-Prince and operating across key national infrastructure. The killing of a U.S. corporate security chief on 22 August and continued HNP/FRG anti-gang operations underscore the persistent risk to foreign nationals and business continuity. Port-au-Prince's main airport remains closed to international commercial traffic through September 2026, forcing diaspora returns and deportation flights through Cap-Haïtien and elevating operational friction for duty-of-care evacuations. The composite threat score of 76 and gang-driven violence trajectory suggest the security situation will remain acute in the near term.

Key Developments

• Port-au-Prince, Torcel/Route de Frères (21–22 August): HNP and Force de Répression des Gangs (FRG) conducted armed operations against the Kraze Baryè gang, clearing barricades and engaging in gunfire exchanges that killed and wounded multiple gang members; residents were advised to avoid intervention zones.

• Port-au-Prince, central business district (22 August): Michael Gallagher, head of security for Compagnie des Tabacs Comme Il Faut S.A., was found stabbed to death in his office—a targeted killing of a corporate security executive in the capital's commercial core, signaling risk to senior foreign personnel.

• National air connectivity (23 August status): Toussaint Louverture International Airport remains under FAA closure for U.S. commercial operations through September 2026; Cap-Haïtien International Airport is now Haiti's primary international gateway, concentrating inbound/outbound traffic and complicating evacuation logistics.

• Port-au-Prince perimeter control (22 August reporting): A U.S. ICE charter flight carrying 170 Haitian nationals was diverted from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien due to gang-controlled perimeters around the main airport, reflecting operational constraints on aviation access.

• National road network (ongoing, confirmed mid-to-late August): Armed groups tax and control key national roads, with approximately 1.5 million internally displaced persons; inter-departmental travel remains hazardous and continues to disrupt transport, health services, and economic activity.

• North Department operations (19 August): HNP arrested five suspects linked to armed group leader Sedanius Tony ("Pipi") during operations along the Milot–Cap-Haïtien corridor, a key northern transit route.

Highest-Risk Areas

Sub-national risk ranking detail is unavailable in the dataset; however, Port-au-Prince metro area and the capital's business districts are the primary drivers of Haiti's composite threat score. Gang territorial control (70–90% of the capital), kidnapping-for-ransom prevalence, and targeted violence against foreign corporate leadership indicate acute risk to expat personnel, supply chains, and office-based operations in the capital. The north (Nord Department, Cap-Haïtien corridor) remains a secondary risk zone due to armed group activity along key transit routes, though gang density is lower than in Port-au-Prince.

How GeoBit Would Assist

Security teams should deploy AOI Monitoring & Early Warning on Port-au-Prince business districts and Cap-Haïtien airport to detect operational disruptions and targeted incidents in near real time. Routing & Network Analysis should be applied to identify and validate alternative overland evacuation routes away from gang-controlled corridors and Dominican Republic border transit zones. OSINT fusion (X/Telegram/YouTube intelligence) combined with event feed aggregation will track HNP/FRG operations, gang territorial shifts, and aviation status changes faster than government advisories.

7-Day Outlook

Gang-controlled territory and kidnapping-for-ransom activity are expected to remain elevated through the end of August and into early September. Port-au-Prince airport will likely remain closed to commercial traffic, sustaining pressure on Cap-Haïtien bottlenecks and complicating emergency movements. No significant de-escalation or security force gains are forecast in the near term; corporate and expatriate risk remains high, particularly for high-profile or visible personnel.

Previous Daily Briefs

A new Haiti brief is written every day — each with its own risk map and downloadable CSV. Here's the last week; use the calendar to go further back.

• August 23, 2026⬇ CSV · $5
• August 22, 2026⬇ CSV · $5
• August 21, 2026⬇ CSV · $5
• August 20, 2026⬇ CSV · $5
• August 19, 2026⬇ CSV · $5
• August 18, 2026⬇ CSV · $5
• August 17, 2026⬇ CSV · $5