Haiti Drone Strikes Kill Over 1,200, Including Children, Rights Group Says

A human rights organization reports that drone operations by Haitian security forces and private contractors have resulted in more than 1,200 deaths and hundreds of injuries over nearly a year. The attacks have claimed the lives of at least 17 children and dozens of civilians not connected to criminal organizations.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Unmanned aircraft operated by Haiti’s security personnel and contracted private companies have resulted in at least 1,243 fatalities and left 738 people wounded, according to a report released Tuesday by Human Rights Watch.

Among the casualties, 17 were minors and 43 were adults with no suspected ties to criminal organizations. The injured included at least 49 individuals believed to be non-combatants, the advocacy organization reported. These incidents occurred from March 1, 2025, through January 21, 2026.

The deadliest single drone strike resulted in 57 fatalities, the report stated.

“Haitian authorities should urgently rein in the security forces and private contractors working for them before more children die,” Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

Officials from Haiti’s National Police did not provide a response when contacted for comment.

The advocacy group reported that weaponized drone strikes in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital where criminal organizations control approximately 90% of the territory, have escalated dramatically in recent months. Between November and late January, 57 attacks were documented, nearly twice the 29 strikes recorded from August through October of the previous year.

Researchers from Human Rights Watch examined seven video recordings either posted on social platforms or provided directly to the organization, showing armed quadcopter drones in operation. Four of these videos were confirmed to have been filmed in Port-au-Prince.

“The videos show the repeated use of drones equipped with explosives to attack vehicles and people, some of them armed, but none who appear to be engaged in violent acts or pose any imminent threat to life,” the group said.

The rights organization found no evidence of widespread drone deployment by criminal organizations.

The report detailed a September 20, 2025 attack in the Simon Pele neighborhood, an impoverished area under the control of a gang sharing the same name.

The drone strike claimed nine lives, including three minors, and wounded at least eight additional people during preparations by the Simon Pele gang leader to hand out presents to local children.

Human Rights Watch included testimony from an unnamed local resident who described how the blast severed both feet from an infant.

A 6-year-old girl was among the fatalities, and her unidentified mother was quoted as saying, “In the spaces where the gangs are, there are innocent people, people who raise their children, who follow normal paths.”

According to the rights group, criminal organizations managed and restricted access to funeral services for the victims’ families.

“Some residents said that only people who accepted money or support from the criminal group had been allowed to attend the funeral,” the rights group said in its report.

On January 1 of this year, an unidentified woman described witnessing a drone crash and detonate on a truck carrying her cousin, resulting in her death.

“Many of these attacks appear to be attempts to target and kill people in circumstances that amount to unlawful, extrajudicial killings,” Human Rights Watch said.

“Authorities should also ensure transparency around and accountability for any unlawful death resulting from a security operation, and conduct prompt, thorough, and independent investigations to disclose, to the greatest extent possible, the number and identity of victims, and provide adequate reparation where violations have occurred,” the rights group added.

United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has declared that deploying deadly force against criminal groups in Haiti was excessive, disproportionate and potentially violated international law.

Haiti’s administration established a specialized task force in the previous year that operates independently from the National Police’s supervision and utilizes explosive-equipped drones. This unit combines select police divisions with private security contractors.

During mid-2025, Vectus Global, the security company led by former U.S. Navy Seal Erik Prince, planned to send approximately 200 personnel from multiple nations to Haiti under a twelve-month contract aimed at suppressing gang activity.

Haitian law enforcement is also collaborating with a United Nations-supported mission headed by Kenyan police officers, which continues to face funding shortages and staffing deficits. This mission is anticipated to transition into what officials call a gang suppression force in the coming months.