Haiti, already grappling with years of chaos and instability, is now facing an unprecedented surge in sexual violence against children, with reports indicating a staggering 1,000% increase since 2023.
The grim reality has sparked urgent warnings from UNICEF, the UN’s children’s organization, which describes the country’s youth as enduring unspeakable brutality under the iron grip of powerful gangs.
According to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, the streets of Haiti have turned into veritable battlegrounds for children’s bodies.
An alarming 85% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, is reported to be controlled by gangs, leaving over one million children besieged by the constant threat of violence.
The consequences of this lawlessness extend far beyond sexual violence, as communities collapse and basic services disintegrate.
In a heart-wrenching account, Elder recounted the plight of a 16-year-old girl who was violently taken by armed men while running an errand. After enduring a month of captivity marked by torment and rape, she was finally released when her captors discerned that her family could not pay the ransom demanded.
Now in the safety of a UN shelter, she is one of many young girls receiving care amidst the escalating crisis.
This surge in violence is leading to a catastrophic breakdown of law and order. In 2022 alone, more than 5,600 lives were claimed due to gang-related violence, with the country’s health services severely compromised and a food security crisis looming on the horizon.
The transitional presidential council, meant to restore democratic order, is mired in dysfunction, having made little progress towards organizing long-delayed elections.
Worryingly, UNICEF also reported that gangs are forcibly recruiting children, with some as young as eight years old being lured or coerced into criminal activities.
The essentials of a normal childhood—education, healthcare, and safety—are in increasingly short supply, with many schools and hospitals barely operational. Tens of thousands of children are currently out of school, caught in a perpetual cycle of violence and neglect.
In response to this dire situation, UNICEF has initiated mobile safe spaces designed to provide some level of protection and support for affected children while working to combat the epidemic of sexual violence. However, funding remains a critical challenge; last year, the organization appealed for $221.4 million to aid their efforts but received only a quarter of that amount.
The recent freeze on U.S. foreign aid poses further risks, jeopardizing vital humanitarian initiatives at a time when Haiti’s children need it most.
