; Whereas the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 exacerbated the ongoing political crisis, leaving the country without an elected government to date; Whereas the power vacuum created by the lack of stable, democratic governance and the absence of a social contract has enabled criminal armed groups to seize control over large swaths of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas, perpetrating heinous acts of violence including kidnappings, murders, rapes, and blocking the delivery of vital humanitarian aid; Whereas, according to United Nations estimates, there are approximately 200 active criminal armed groups operating in Haiti, many of whom have longstanding connections with the political and economic elite; Whereas this unprecedented violence has displaced over 500,000 civilians, created a severe humanitarian crisis, and crippled the country’s already fragile economy and public services; Whereas, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), since the beginning of the year, there have been more than 2,500 deaths and injuries related to gang violence, a 53-percent increase from October through December 2023; Whereas a 2023 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report found that most illegal firearms seized in Haiti came from the United States, notably Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Texas, and California; Whereas, in 2024 alone, kidnappings have risen to at least 504 victims, 294 of these being women, 11 girls, and 9 boys, in addition to the 3,000+ persons reportedly kidnapped in 2023; Whereas the United Nations, and other experts, report that the raping of women and girls is routine, and these groups of individuals disproportionately suffer from the crisis in their country, and at least 64 women and girls suffered from sexual violence; Whereas gangs are using sexual violence to create fear, obtain money, gain power, and punish local communities, and this violence includes trafficking, sexual exploitation, and sexual slavery