While armed violence continues to deteriorate the situation in Haiti, the UN estimates that between 30 and 50% of members of armed groups are children subjected to coercion, abuse and exploitation, the UN warned this Friday. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
They also estimate that 90% of Haiti’s population lives in poverty and three million children continue to need urgent humanitarian aid, in the midst of persistent social, economic and political fragility caused by the violence that has plunged Haiti into chaos. some areas of the country.
The agency referenced years of political unrest, which along with devastating economic conditions, have led to the proliferation of armed groups that many of the country’s children are increasingly forced to join, a clear violation of their rights.
“Haiti’s children are trapped in a vicious cycle of suffering. “They are driven to join armed groups out of sheer desperation, which includes horrific violence, poverty and the collapse of the systems that should protect them,” said the agency’s executive director.
Catherine Russell explained that armed groups use children for different tasks, such as cooks, cleaners, “wives” or lookouts. “But what these children have in common is the loss of innocence and connection to their communities. The impact on every child affected is a tragedy that demands urgent action,” Russell added.
The head of the agency also emphasized that priority must be given to their protection and well-being, which includes safely ending the connection with armed groups, ensure their reintegration into society and facilitate safe access to essential services and supports.
Exposure to violence and recruitment
The latest estimates show that More than half a million children in Haiti live in neighborhoods controlled by armed groupswhich exposes them to a greater risk of violence and child recruitment.
Children are often forced to join armed groups such as means to support their families or due to threats against themselves or those close to them, warns UNICEF. Additionally, many children join groups after being separated from their loved ones, as a means of survival and protection.
The recruitment and use of children by armed groups constitutes a serious violation of their rights, and the enlistment of minors of any age in armed groups is a clear violation of international law.
Reintegration support
UNICEF and Haiti’s Ministries of Justice, Education and Labor and Social Affairs recently agreed on joint ways of working to support the reintegration of children who were former members of armed groups. This agreement represents a milestone in safeguarding their well-being.
So far in 2024, violence has intensified, with more than 2,500 people killed, injured or kidnapped. The UN has verified more than 400 serious violations against children. At the same time, families continue to be displaced by violence. More than 180,000 children are now internally displaced.
UNICEF said it is stepping up its efforts to protect families, even for those who are trapped and isolated from essential services. Together with the Government and its partners, the agency helps maintain national, regional and, in the most unsafe areas, neighborhood systems and services that protect children and families.
The agency called on the international community to accelerate efforts to protect children in Haiti:
- Ensure that the internationally supported security mission prioritizes protection of children and civilians and the commitment to uphold humanitarian law and space for humanitarian action
- Support efforts to prevent and end grave violations against childrenincluding the protection of schools, hospitals and other facilities on which they depend, and to safeguard humanitarian spaces
- Strengthen support for efforts in countries to ensure sustained humanitarian accesspredictable and unimpeded at scale, including the safe movement of humanitarian and frontline workers and the delivery of essential services and supplies to populations in need
- Increase immediate financing to meet the humanitarian and protection needs of the most vulnerable, ensuring that aid reaches affected children as soon as possible, including those who have escaped or been released from armed groups
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