In Haiti, a wave of violence and a catastrophic humanitarian situation have forced more than 700,000 people, half of them children, to flee their homes. These young people looking for a way to survive are easily recruited by gangs. The latter control approximately 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince.
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Wars, climate change, migration, sexual assault, cyberharassment, forced marriages, mental illness and suicide: children are the first victims of the crises present almost everywhere in the world. The observation made by the special representative of the UN Secretary General for the fight against violence against children, Najat Maalla M’jid, in a report presented this Thursday, October 10 to the United Nations General Assembly, is chilling.
In Haiti, thousands of children affected by poverty and hunger have joined criminal groups, where they are forced to participate in illegal activities and face abuse. According to the organization Human Rights Watch (HRW), “We estimates that 30% of members of criminal groups are minors. And what we identified in our last report, during our last visit at the end of July, is that this figure is increasing: these groups are welcoming more children and minors to prepare for possible operations and confrontations with the Haitian National Police, and with the security support mission authorized by the United Nations last year,” reports Nathalye Cotrino, researcher at HRW’s crisis, conflict and weapons office.
Severe food insecurity
“All the children we spoke with told us that hunger is the main reason they join criminal groups. The majority of these minors live in conditions of extreme necessity: in the streets, in public squares, etc. So the main reason is the serious humanitarian situation that these minors face. They live in areas where the state is not present, they are completely abandoned. They do not have access to food, health or other basic services. For this reason, they consider criminal groups to be the only place where they could get at least food and shelter “, she continues.
In a report covering the period from January to June 2024, and published at the end of September, the UN indicates that at least 3,661 people have been killed since January in Haiti. In addition, the number of victims of sexual violence also increased during the first half of the year, including gang rapes of children under five years old.
Also readViolence in Haiti: at least 3,661 people killed since January, according to the UN