Child recruitment by armed groups in Haiti surges by 70%

The number of children recruited into armed groups in Haiti has soared by 70% over the past year, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

This unprecedented increase underscores the deteriorating state of child protection in the violence-stricken Caribbean nation. UNICEF estimates that children now make up nearly half of all members in these groups, driven into recruitment by widespread poverty, lack of education, and the collapse of essential services. “Children in Haiti are trapped in a vicious cycle—recruited into the very armed groups that fuel their desperation, and the numbers are growing,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s Executive Director. “Chaos and horror have become part of daily life.”

Children at constant risk

The situation is particularly dire in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where 1.2 million children face constant threats from armed violence. Children account for an estimated 25% of the 703,000 people internally displaced in Haiti, many living in precarious conditions and exposed to extreme risks. Reports indicate a staggering rise in sexual violence, with a tenfold increase in children subjected to such atrocities this year, according to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.