By Haiti 24 News
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The year 2024 will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in Haiti’s history, as the nation grapples with an explosion of gang violence that has disproportionately targeted children and families, plunging the country into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. A harrowing report by UNICEF, released this week and relayed by ReliefWeb, reveals a staggering surge in brutality against minors, mass displacement, and systemic collapse, signaling an urgent need for global intervention.
Children Bear the Brunt of Escalating Conflict
UNICEF’s findings paint a dire portrait of Haiti’s security crisis. Sexual violence against children has surged by 1,000% compared to 2023, with armed groups weaponizing rape and abuse to terrorize communities. Meanwhile, the forced recruitment of children into gangs has spiked by 70%, with boys and girls as young as eight years old coerced into combat. Nearly half of all armed group members are now estimated to be minors, a grim testament to the exploitation of Haiti’s youth.
“The brutality facing Haitian children is unimaginable,” a UNICEF spokesperson stated. “They are being robbed of safety, childhood, and futures.”
Mass Displacement and Collapse of Basic Services
Relentless clashes between gangs have displaced over 314,000 people since January, including 170,000 children, with many fleeing Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite region. Families crowd into makeshift shelters, schools, and churches, often lacking access to food, clean water, and medical care. Critical infrastructure is crumbling: dozens of schools and hospitals have shuttered due to insecurity, while armed groups blockade roads, throttling aid delivery.
“We’re trapped between bullets and starvation,” said Marie Dupont, a mother of three displaced from Port-au-Prince’s Delmas neighborhood. “My children haven’t eaten properly in weeks.”
International Community Urged to Act
UNICEF has issued an urgent plea for global solidarity, urging nations to bolster humanitarian funding, prioritize child protection, and support Haitian authorities in restoring security. The agency emphasizes that without immediate action, Haiti’s crisis will spiral further, destabilizing the region. Key demands include:
- Rapid deployment of security forces to halt gang expansion.
- Scaling up psychosocial support and healthcare for survivors.
- Prosecuting perpetrators of violence to end cycles of impunity.
A Race Against Time
With gangs now controlling 80% of Port-au-Prince and expanding into rural areas, Haiti’s institutions teeter on the brink. The UN warns that 2025 could see even greater deterioration if intervention falters. “The world cannot look away,” the UNICEF report concludes. “Haiti’s children are counting on us.”
