The number of children recruited by armed gangs has increased by 70% in Haiti over one year and they form almost half of the numbers of these gangs in this Caribbean country ravaged by violence, Unicef warned on Sunday.
“This unprecedented peak, recorded between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024, shows a worsening of the child protection crisis,” worries the United Nations Children’s Fund in a press release.
“Currently, almost half of the members of armed groups are children,” says UNICEF.
Since the end of February, Haiti, a poor country already plunged into years of crises, has faced an outbreak of gang attacks, accused of murders, kidnappings and large-scale sexual violence.
These gangs, which control around 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince, regularly attack civilians despite the deployment this year of a multinational security support mission led by Kenya and supported by the UN. .
Under the leadership of Jimmy Chérisier, a former police officer turned gang leader and nicknamed “Barbecue”, the majority of these armed groups formed a coalition this year with the aim of obtaining the departure of the unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who resigned in April.
After weeks of struggle for control of the government, his successor Garry Conille has just been dismissed from office by the Presidential Transitional Council, which appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé in his place.
According to Unicef, the escalation of violence, widespread poverty, lack of access to education and the near collapse of essential services are fueling the massive recruitment of children.
“Haiti’s children are trapped in a vicious circle: they are recruited by armed groups who fuel their despair, and their numbers continue to increase,” says the director general of the UN organization, Catherine Russell , quoted in the press release.
“This unacceptable trend must be reversed by ensuring that the safety and well-being of children are a priority for all parties,” adds Unicef.
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