Breaking News: Haitian Children Face Increasing Danger Amidst Gang Violence - Save the Children Urges Action
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Multibagger) - The situation in Haiti is dire as at least five children have been killed or injured every week in 2024, according to charity Save the Children. The United Nations and security forces are being called upon to step up and protect kids from the crossfire and gang violence that is plaguing the country.
In 2022, Haiti requested a security mission to assist its police in combating violent gangs that have seized control of the capital, leading to indiscriminate killings, gang rape, extortion, and the recruitment of minors. However, progress has been slow, with only 400 Kenyan police deployed in Haiti so far. The promised funds, personnel, and armored trucks from other countries have yet to materialize.
Save the Children, citing U.N. data, reported that at least 131 children were killed or injured in the first half of 2024, often as a result of stray bullets or retaliation for supporting rival gangs or police. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher than reported.
"Behind these alarming statistics are real children who have suffered greatly or lost their lives," remarked Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, the charity's director in Haiti. "Entire communities have been destroyed, kidnappings and sexual assaults are rampant, and children are being targeted directly or caught in the crossfire."
In late July, a Kenyan mission in Ganthier had to be hastily withdrawn due to lack of preparedness and resources, with police assisting them to escape gang violence. By August 1, violence in Ganthier had displaced nearly 6,000 residents, according to U.N. data.
Save the Children has called on the U.N. Security Council to hold accountable those who commit atrocities against children and recruit them into gangs. They also urge all parties in Haiti to allow the immediate and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid.
As schools prepare to reopen on October 1, many in the capital have been forced to seek refuge in makeshift camps, with close to 600,000 people internally displaced by the ongoing conflict.