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At least five Haitian children have been killed or injured in a week so far in 2024, the charity Save the Children said Tuesday, urging the United Nations and security forces to do more to protect children from crossfire and gang violence.
Haiti has called for a security mission in 2022 to help its understaffed police force fight violent gangs that have taken over much of the capital, carrying out indiscriminate killings, gang rapes, extortion and recruiting minors into their ranks.
But progress has been slow, with only 400 Kenyan police deployed to Haiti so far to lead the UN-approved mission, while countries have lagged in delivering on promises of funding, personnel and armored vehicles.
Save the Children, citing UN data, said at least 131 children were killed or injured in the first six months of 2024, often from stray bullets or reprisals for supporting rival gangs or the police, while the actual number is likely much higher.
“Behind these horrific figures are real children who have been seriously injured or died,” said Chantal Sylvie Imbo, head of the charity Haiti.
“Entire communities were burned down, kidnappings and sexual assaults were rife, and children were either directly attacked or caught in the crossfire.”
In late July, local media reported that Kenya’s mission to the community of Gantir on the border with the Dominican Republic ended quickly because police had to help them flee from gang fire due to a lack of preparation and resources.
According to UN data, as of August 1, violence in Ghantier had displaced nearly 6,000 residents.
Save the Children called on the UN Security Council to “end impunity for those who abuse and recruit children into gangs” and called on “all parties in Haiti to ensure immediate, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access.”
Schools are expected to reopen on October 1, but with the number of internally displaced people due to the conflict approaching 600,000, many schools in the capital have been converted into makeshift refugee camps.
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