The proportion is barely believable. “Currently, almost half of the members of armed groups are children” in Haiti, warns Unicef in a press release published on Sunday, November 24. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the number of children recruited by gangs has increased 70% year over year in this violence-ravaged Caribbean country.
“This unprecedented peak, recorded between the second quarter of 2023 and 2024, shows a worsening of the child protection crisis”worries the organization.
Since late February, Haiti, a poor country already mired in years of crisis, has faced an outbreak of attacks by gangs, accused of murders, kidnappings and large-scale sexual violence. These gangs, which control about 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”, most of these armed groups formed a coalition this year with the aim of ousting the unpopular Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who resigned in April. . After weeks of fighting for control of the government, his successor Garry Conille has just been removed from office by the Transitional Presidential Council, which appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé in his place.
“Vicious circle”
According to Unicef, escalating violence, widespread poverty, lack of access to education and the near collapse of essential services are fueling the mass recruitment of children. Thus, children join gangs to support their families or when they are threatened. Many are also recruited after being separated from their guardians.
“Haiti’s children are trapped in a vicious cycle: they are recruited by armed groups that feed their desperation, and their numbers continue to increase”declared 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 is a priority for all parties”Unicef added.
