Haiti: Over 500,000 Children Have Been Forced from Their Homes – 70% Surge in Child Recruitment

“It is a horrific time to be a child in Haiti, with violence upending lives and forcing more children and families from their homes,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Children desperately need safety, protection and access to essential services. We cannot look away,” she emphasised. 

Children caught in crossfire 

Decades of political instability, poverty and inequality have enabled the rise of armed groups and the impact on children has been devastating. 

Reports indicate a 70 per cent surge in child recruitment over the past year, with minors making up as much as 50 per cent of their ranks. This recruitment violates international law and constitutes a grave violation of children’s rights.

Meanwhile, the displacement crisis has left children especially vulnerable to violence, including sexual violence, exploitation and abuse. 

Incidents of sexual violence against children have increased by 1,000 per cent in the last year, the agency said.

Access to basic services such as education, healthcare, clean water and sanitation has been severely disrupted, leaving children at heightened risk of malnutrition and disease.

Nearly 6,000 people are enduring famine-like conditions, and unsanitary displacement sites have created fertile ground for cholera outbreaks. The country has recorded nearly 88,000 suspected cases of the disease, which disproportionately affects children.

© OHCHR/Marion Mondain | A young child whose family fled violence sits in a makeshift shelter in Port-au-Prince.

Worsening urban crisis

The crisis is particularly acute in the metropolitan area of the capital Port-au-Prince, where violence and instability are rampant. 

By December, attempted sieges of residential neighbourhoods forced approximately 40,000 people to flee their homes in just two weeks. 

UNICEF estimates that three million children nationwide need humanitarian assistance, with 1.2 million children in immediate danger across the city. 

Call for action

UNICEF is urging all parties to immediately cease hostilities and end violations of children’s rights, including recruitment by armed groups and all forms of sexual violence. 

The agency has also called for unimpeded access for humanitarian workers to reach those in need, including displaced populations.

“Children in Haiti are bearing the brunt of a crisis they did not create,” Ms. Russell said. “They rely on the Haitian Government and international community to take urgent action to protect their lives and safeguard their futures,” she emphasised.