UNICEF Warns of Haiti Child Gang Crisis, Says Recruitment Spikes 200%

HAITI – United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is sounding the alarm over a sharp spike in child recruitment by armed groups in Haiti.

The agency says the number of children forced into gangs has surged by an estimated 200% this year as violence, poverty, and mass displacement deepens.

UNICEF reports more than 500 children previously linked to armed groups have received protection and reintegration support through a programme launched with the Haitian government.

More than 1.4 million people are now internally displaced in Haiti – more than half of them children.