UNICEF Reports A 70% Rise In The Number Of Children Recruited by Gangs in Haiti.

Gangs in Haiti are recruiting children at alarming levels, with the number of minors involved surging by 70% over the past year, according to a UNICEF report released Monday.

The United Nations estimates that children now make up between 30% and 50% of gang members in the violence-stricken country.

“This is a very concerning trend,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti.

The rise in child recruitment coincides with worsening poverty, increased violence, and ongoing political instability. Gangs, now controlling 85% of Port-au-Prince, have expanded their influence by targeting previously peaceful communities in a bid to dominate the entire capital.

Young boys are often used as informants, “because they’re invisible and not seen as a threat,” Narayan said in a phone interview from Haiti. Some boys are armed and forced to participate in attacks, while girls are subjected to domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, being treated as so-called “wives” by gang members.

“They’re not doing this voluntarily,” Narayan emphasised. “Even when they are armed with weapons, the child here is the victim.”

In a country where over 60% of the population lives on less than $4 a day, recruiting children is relatively easy for gangs. Desperation often drives minors to join, with one child reporting being paid $33 weekly and another receiving thousands of dollars in their first month, according to a UN Security Council report.

“Children and families are becoming increasingly desperate in some cases because of the extreme poverty,” Narayan explained.

For those who refuse to join, the consequences are dire. Gunmen frequently threaten or abduct children and their families. Children deported from the neighbouring Dominican Republic are especially vulnerable, as they are often separated from their families and left exposed to exploitation.

“Those children are increasingly the ones targeted,” Narayan said.

Adding to the threat is a growing vigilante movement targeting suspected gang members. UNICEF noted that children are often viewed with suspicion, branded as spies, or even killed by vigilantes.

A recent video on social media showed a child’s body lying next to an adult after a gang attack near an upscale community. Police reported that at least 28 suspected gang members were killed during clashes between residents armed with machetes and police officers.

The gangs recruiting the most children include 5 Segond, Brooklyn, Kraze Barye, Grand Ravine, and Terre Noire, according to the UN Security Council. New recruits are typically assigned tasks like buying food or recruiting others. They are later tested through confrontations, sometimes advancing in rank after committing violent acts.

The recruitment crisis has intensified as gang violence displaces more than 700,000 people, including an estimated 365,000 children. Many live in precarious conditions, where they face physical and sexual violence.

“Criminal groups in Haiti are subjecting girls and women to horrific sexual abuse,” stated a Human Rights Watch report published Monday.

The report cited testimony from a 14-year-old girl abducted and raped repeatedly over five days in a house with six other girls who endured similar abuse. Human Rights Watch noted that while clashes between armed groups have decreased, attacks on civilians, police, and infrastructure have risen.

“Criminal groups have often used sexual violence to instill fear in rival territories,” the report added.

Experts warn that children as young as eight are being targeted, and the longer they remain with gangs, the harder it becomes to rescue and rehabilitate them.

“Violence is rewarded and encouraged,” Narayan said, underscoring the damaging impact on a child’s psychosocial development.

Reintegration into society is a challenging process. Some children leave willingly, others escape, and non-profit organisations often intervene, providing medical care, psychological support, and other assistance.

“There is a transition period,” Narayan said. “It’s not all rosy. It does take time on all sides.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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