UN warns of spike in killings and kidnappings across Haiti as deployment of armed force stalls

The U.N. says more than 2,300 people were killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti from October to December last year, a nearly 10% increase compared with the previous quarter

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- More than 2,300 people were killed, injured or kidnapped in Haiti from October to December last year, a nearly 10% increase compared with the previous quarter, according to a new U.N. report released Thursday.

The number of killings alone spiked to more than 1,600 during the period, with officials blaming the vacuum created by the death of a powerful gang leader known as Andrice Isca for unleashing territorial fights in the Cite Soleil slum of Port-au-Prince that killed and injured nearly 270 people over roughly two weeks in late November. Isca has also been identified as Iskar Andrice and Iscar Andris.

Authorities said fights occurred within a powerful gang federation known as G-9 Family and Allies, which also targeted an opposition gang coalition called G-Pep.

“In addition to the loss of human life, the humanitarian toll of the clashes was disastrous: over 1,000 people were forced to abandon their homes and take refuge in nearby areas,” stated the report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH.

Officials said at least 262 gang members died in the last quarter, but noted the losses were barely felt given that “the ease of recruitment among the poor populations living under their control enabled them to rapidly replenish their ranks.”