Haiti: Ongoing Population Movements in Lascahobas Commune, Centre Department - Flash Update #4 (as of 3 July 2025)

HIGHLIGHTS

• On 3 July 2025, armed groups attacked Desvarieux, Chambrun, and Sarrazins near Lascahobas, a commune in Haiti’s Centre Department located approximately 20 km from the Haitian border with the Dominican Republic.
• This latest attack triggered panic and new population displacements towards neighboring communes in the Centre, notably Hinche and Belladère, worsening the humanitarian crisis in the Lower Plateau region of the Centre Department (Flash Update N.3 Centre Department).
• The Centre Departmental Emergency Operations Center (COUD) is active and coordinating situation monitoring and response activities.
• Ongoing violence and attacks in the Lower Plateau are making it increasingly difficult to deliver aid and deploy humanitarian personnel in the department.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On the morning of Thursday, 3 July 2025, the security situation deteriorated in the Lascahobas area due to attacks orchestrated by armed groups. This escalation of violence has intensified the humanitarian crisis in the Centre Department, particularly in the Lower Plateau region. Lascahobas was already hosting approximately 7 455 internally displaced persons (IOM/DTM Round 10) following armed violence that began in April in the Centre Department. The localities of Desvarieux, Chambrun, and Sarrazins were directly affected, causing panic among the local populations. In response to these attacks, many residents, with numbers yet to be confirmed, fled their homes seeking refuge in surrounding areas, including other communes in the department such as Hinche and Belladère. These areas were already hosting around 37 000 displaced persons, with 10 000 in Hinche and approximately 27 000 in Belladère.

Preliminary estimates from local authorities report eight deaths, others missing, and the theft of three vehicles. The consequences of these attacks have also impacted education, leading to the cancellation of the final day of official exams for 9th-grade students in Lascahobas. This series of events highlights the growing security challenges in the department, worsening an already precarious humanitarian situation for many communities.