GENEVA: At least 42 people have been killed and dozens injured during anti-government protests in Haiti since mid-September, the UN’s human rights body said Friday, adding it was “deeply concerned” by the crisis.

The poorest country in the Americas has been roiled for two months by protests, which were triggered by fuel shortages but have turned violent and morphed into a broader campaign against President Jovenel Moise.

“We are deeply concerned about the protracted crisis in Haiti, and its impact on the ability of Haitians to access their basic rights to healthcare, food, education and other needs,” the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a statement.

It said reports indicate that security forces were responsible for 19 of the deaths, with the remainder of those killed by armed individuals or unknown attackers.

(Agencies)