2026-01-23

Artibonite produced tactical results but failed to restore sustained civilian access or commercial movement. Haitian National Police supported by Gang Suppression Force elements conducted night operations in Bercy between Cabaret and Arcahaie on the night of 20-21 January 2026. The operation resulted in six alleged gang members killed and seizures of weapons and ammunition. HALO Solutions security monitoring confirmed the action but reported the area has not yet been fully secured with clashes ongoing and civilian return impossible. Bercy sits at a critical junction where gangs based in Canaan maintain the capacity to interdict north-south traffic. Separate displacement events in Montrouis further north on Route Nationale 1 demonstrate the persistent insecurity across the corridor. Armed attacks in late December 2025 and early January January 23, 2026 2026 displaced approximately 1120 people according to International Organization for Migration assessments dated 6 January 2026. Displaced populations sheltered with host families in Rozo, Ayme, Dipen, and Saint-Marc. As of 6 January the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported Route Nationale 1 remained inaccessible at Montrouis with access to multiple localities very difficult and exposed to armed attacks. The combination of gang presence, community self-defense blockades, and displacement-related volatility created persistent interruption risk for humanitarian and commercial movements. The operational pattern reflects a broader challenge in Haiti's security response. Police and Gang Suppression Force units can achieve tactical victories in specific locations through concentrated firepower and armored vehicle deployments. However, these gains prove fragile without sustained presence and service delivery to prevent gang reinfiltration. The Bercy-Arcahaie-Montrouis-Saint-Marc axis represents the primary land corridor connecting Port-au-Prince to northern departments including Artibonite which has experienced a 210 percent increase in intentional homicides during 2025. Without reliable Route Nationale 1 access, humanitarian agencies face severe constraints in reaching populations in Centre and Artibonite departments while commercial actors incur prohibitive costs or abandon northern markets entirely.