The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over a dramatic rise in the recruitment of children by armed groups in Haiti, with numbers increasing by 70 percent in the past year. Children now account for nearly half of gang membership in the violence-stricken Caribbean nation.
“The unprecedented spike, registered between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024, points to a worsening protection crisis for children in the violence-plagued Caribbean island,” UNICEF stated. “At present, up to half of all members in armed groups are children.”
has long grappled with political instability, but violence has escalated sharply in recent months. Gangs now control 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, creating a humanitarian crisis.
According to UNICEF, the surge in child recruitment is driven by a combination of factors: escalating violence, widespread poverty, lack of educational opportunities, and the near collapse of essential infrastructure.
“Children in Haiti are trapped in a vicious cycle — recruited into the very armed groups that are fueling their desperation, and the numbers are growing,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “This unacceptable trend must be reversed by ensuring children’s safety and welfare are prioritized by all parties.”