Haiti: Gangs Create One of the World’s First Displacement Economies

Decoding an unprecedented territorial strategy

In June 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 1.3 million internally displaced persons in Haiti, an increase of 24% in six months. But this humanitarian crisis masks a more complex economic reality: Haitian gangs have developed a sophisticated model that transforms forced displacement into an instrument for capturing national wealth.

The analysis reveals a troubling paradox. While some gang-controlled areas such as Croix-des-Bouque