• Human Rights Watch reports over 1,200 fatalities from Haitian drone strikes, including civilians.
• Operations intensified, particularly in densely populated areas of Port-au-Prince.
• Human rights advocates urge authorities to implement protective measures for civilians.

Explosive drone strikes conducted by Haitian security forces have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 individuals, including at least 60 civilians, according to a recent report from Human Rights Watch (HRW). The strikes have primarily targeted gangs within the capital, Port-au-Prince, where violence has surged in the past year. HRW detailed that between March 2025 and January 2026, the strikes killed 1,243 people and injured 738, heightening the urgency for intervention as conditions worsen in the area, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Al Jazeera.

The drone operations, supported by Vectus Global—a private military firm—have intensified in areas predominantly controlled by gangs, with reports indicating that operations nearly doubled in the last few months. HRW found significant evidence of unlawful force being utilized, including interviews with local residents who expressed fear of venturing outside due to the drone activity. One prominent HRW figure urged, “Haitian authorities should urgently rein in the security forces and private contractors working for them before more children die,” stressing the critical need for protection of civilian life, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

HRW's document reviewed several drone operations that showcased their usage in civilian-heavy neighborhoods. Notably, during a strike in September, a total of nine people, including three children, were killed when drones targeted a gang leader distributing gifts in an impoverished area. This incident, among others, highlights the grave circumstances faced by innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of escalating gang violence, according to Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

The UN’s Integrated Office in Haiti has apparently recorded numerous civilian deaths but reported no investigations into these incidents. HRW stated that despite the severe consequences of drone strikes, there is no indication that gangs are employing drones extensively themselves, calling into question the nature of the violence in the region and the legality of the current security measures, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.