© 2024 Nathalye Cotrino Villarreal/Human Rights WatchSexual violence by criminal groups is not new in Haiti: Human Rights Watch has documented how criminal groups have used widespread sexual violence in recent years to terrorize communities and assert control. According to the report, criminal groups carry out most attacks, often involving multiple perpetrators, firearms, death threats, and sexual assaults committed during broader attacks on entire neighborhoods. What stands out in the report isn’t only the scale of the abuse, which remains largely underreported, but how few survivors can access health care and support quickly enough. MSF and Human Rights Watch have urged Haitian authorities to strengthen the health system and ensure timely, survivor-centered care, particularly in areas affected by criminal violence, and to ensure survivors’ access to justice and reparations. Acting now would reduce harm and help ensure survivors are not forced back to dangerous conditions.