"Areas that just yesterday we still considered safe are now becoming unsafe. There is nowhere left for people to take shelter," said Marisela Silva Chau, ICRC Head of Delegation in Haiti.

Growing insecurity is only part of it: the very fabric of people's daily life is unravelling. The mounting consequences of violence, including repeated displacement, limited access to health care and dwindling livelihoods, hit the most vulnerable hardest.

"Each new wave of violence pushes families who already had almost nothing left even further into hardship. Mothers no longer know where they can sleep safely, children are born and raised amid the sound of gunfire, and the wounded sometimes have nowhere to go for medical care," Silva Chau added.

In densely populated areas, offensive operations could lead to an escalation in armed violence in the heart of residential neighbourhoods, new waves of displacement and an already swamped health-care system no longer being able to handle the influx of patients. They could also cause an increase in the number of people imprisoned for violent crimes, overwhelming a prison system that is already at capacity and in which conditions are deteriorating.

"Any scale-up of operations in such densely populated areas must be accompanied by all necessary precautions to spare the civilian population and to prevent a surge in humanitarian needs. Protecting local communities must remain the top priority," said Silva Chau.

In the second half of 2026, internal displacement in the country reached unprecedented levels. According to a new United Nations tally, nearly 1.5 million people have fled their homes, while more than half the population is in need of emergency humanitarian aid. 

In light of this situation, the ICRC is continuing its dialogue with all weapon bearers, particularly through awareness-raising sessions on applicable international law and norms. We urge them to conduct their operations in compliance with international law, particularly with regard to the use of force, and underscore the need to effectively protect civilians–including in the planning and conduct of operations and by safeguarding humanitarian action, ensuring safe access to vulnerable populations and protecting detainees.