‘Robbed’ of Their Childhood: UNICEF Warns of Crisis Facing Haiti’s Youth

Two-thirds are seeking refuge with host families and over 500 sheltering in three newly established displacement sites, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The situation for children remains particularly dire. The number of internally displaced children in Haiti has increased by nearly 50 per cent since September, now exceeding half a million.

UNICEF reports that approximately one in eight children in the country is now displaced.

The agency also warns of a 70 per cent rise in child recruitment by gangs over the past year, with up to half of gang members in Haiti now estimated to be children.

‘Childhood is a right’

Speaking from a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described the growing desperation:

“I’m in a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held,” he said, explaining that 85 per cent of this capital city is controlled by armed groups.

“So, child recruitment into armed groups is rampant. Children get recruited. It’s out of desperation. It’s out of manipulation, out of being engulfed in violence,” he emphasised.

Mentioning a 16-year-old girl who dreamt of being a paediatrician, but was caught up in a raid, he said: “The point of this is that childhood should not be a gift. Childhood is a right.”

Humanitarian needs grow

The crisis is further aggravated by forced returns from neighbouring countries. 

In the first two weeks of January alone, nearly 15,000 Haitians were returned from the Dominican Republic, adding to the 200,000 people deported across the region last year.

Meanwhile, natural disasters have worsened conditions across the country. 

Since November, nearly 330,000 people have been affected by floods in six of Haiti’s departments, leaving dozens dead and damaging or destroying nearly 50,000 homes.

UN appeals 

The UN has launched a $908 million humanitarian appeal to assist 3.9 million people in Haiti this year.

“We urge the international community to scale up its support so that we and our humanitarian partners can support the people of Haiti who need it,” said Mr. Dujarric. 

As conditions deteriorate, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations stress the need for urgent international action to protect Haiti’s most vulnerable, particularly its children – trapped in a cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.

“For those of us with freedom, those with safety, those who have an opportunity – we also have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to raise our voices for those who simply do not have one,” Mr. Elder said.