Gang Suppression Force Launches New Operational Phase in Downtown Port-au-Prince

The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) launched a new operational phase in central Port-au-Prince on September 3, 2026, conducting joint patrols with the Haitian National Police (PNH) to gain familiarity with the area and existing security protocols. As the GSF assumes routine downtown patrol responsibilities, PNH personnel are expected to redeploy in support of Kenscoff security efforts, continuing the handover pattern that began September 1 when the GSF started taking over PNH positions in Kenscoff itself. Separately, an IOM/OCHA displacement update reported that armed violence in Kenscoff between August 23-30 displaced approximately 4,238 people across 1,159 households from four localities — City Center, Vilier, Tête de l'Eau, and Morne Jean Jacques — compounding roughly 6,000 people already displaced by similar violence in July. Of the newly displaced, 79% sought refuge in neighboring Pétion-Ville, 12% resettled within Kenscoff, 80% found family-hosted shelter, and 20% occupied six displacement sites (four pre-existing, two newly created). CARICOM officials also held discussions with Haitian leadership on the political and security situation and the conditions necessary for secure elections.