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Gang violence in Haiti has displaced more than 300,000 children since March, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said Tuesday, as the Caribbean nation continues to grapple with rampant killings and kidnappings.
More than half of the nearly 580,000 people who have been homeless in the past four months are children. The surge in violence began in late February with coordinated attacks on key government infrastructure, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry in April.
“The humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes is taking a devastating toll on children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Displaced children urgently need a safe and protected environment, as well as increased support and funding from the international community.”
Gangs now control at least 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the main roads in and out of the capital. According to the United Nations, more than 2,500 people were killed or injured in the first three months of this year.
Many children are living in makeshift shelters, including schools, where unhygienic conditions pose a risk of contracting diseases. School closures are also contributing to the increase in dropout rates.
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UNICEF reports that due to lack of food, health care, clean water and sanitation, Haitian children are forced to join violent gangs to survive. Displaced children and adolescents are at greater risk of sexual assault, exploitation, abuse and family separation.
The move comes just days after hundreds of Kenyans arrived in Haiti to help free the country from armed gangs, a deployment that has drawn mixed reactions since previous UN peacekeeping missions brought cholera to the country and were marred by allegations of sexual abuse.
On Monday, Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finner met with Haitian Prime Minister Gary Corneille to discuss the initial deployment of the UN-backed Mission in Haiti. Finner stressed that the United States will strongly support the Mission’s accountability and oversight mechanisms.
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Additionally, Haiti is preparing for a severe hurricane season that is arriving earlier than usual. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Haiti’s southern coast as Hurricane Beryl moves toward the Caribbean Sea.
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