UNICEF Reports 70% Surge in Haitian Child Gang Recruitment

Children in Haiti are increasingly coerced into gangs as deepening poverty and violence exacerbate their vulnerability, with many facing physical and sexual abuse.

UNICEF reports a 70% increase in the recruitment of Haitian children by gangs over the past year, with minors now comprising 30% to 50% of gang membership.
Boys are often forced to act as informants or fighters, while girls are subjected to domestic labor and sexual exploitation, including being used as 'wives' for gang members.
Extreme poverty, political instability, and widespread school closures have made children more vulnerable to recruitment, with many lured by small payments or coerced under threats to their families.
Children separated from families, including those deported from the Dominican Republic, are particularly targeted, while vigilante groups also pose risks by suspecting children of being spies.
Gang violence has displaced over 700,000 people in recent years, including 365,000 children, many of whom live in unsafe, makeshift shelters where they face further abuse.