Haiti declares state of emergency after armed gangs storm two of the country's largest prisons

A 72-hour state of emergency has been declared in Haiti after armed gangs stormed two of the country's largest prisons, reportedly allowing thousands of people to escape.

A government statement said two prisons, one in the capital of Port-au-Prince and another in nearby Croix-des-Bouquets, were overrun by gang members during the weekend, according to multiple media reports.

Nearly all the 4,000 inmates at Haiti's National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince were thought to have escaped.

CNBC could not independently verify the figures.

Haiti's government on Sunday imposed a state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in an attempt to restore order, with Finance Minister Patrick Boisvert reportedly calling on police to use "all legal means" to recapture the prisoners and enforce the curfew, according to Al Jazeera.

Boisvert is in temporary charge of the Haitian government while Prime Minister Ariel Henry is on an overseas trip to Kenya, looking to rouse support for a U.N.-backed security force to help prop up the country after years of deadly gang violence.

Haitian lawyer Arnel Remy, head of the Collective of Lawyers for the Defense of Human Rights in Haiti, said in a Google-translated update on the X social media platform that a total of 3,597 prisoners escaped from the National Penitentiary.

The U.N. has warned the Haitian government's presence "continues to erode," with lawlessness and extreme gang violence casting a long shadow over everyday life in the crisis-stricken country.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says Haiti has faced a multitude of challenges in recent years, "encompassing political, social and economic issues, further exacerbated by recurring natural disasters."

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