Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 28th Dec. UNICEF on Wednesday has denounced a deadly Christmas Day attack by an armed group on a family in Port-au-Prince.
It said that 4 people, including two girls under the age of 10, were killed in the incident, which occurred in the Croix de Bouquet district.
Four other family members were kidnapped, UNICEF added.
Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, in a statement issued on Tuesday that similar attacks have occurred in the same neighbourhood a week ago.
“Regrettably, such killings are not isolated,” he added. “From July to September 2023 alone, Haiti has witnessed 88 grave violations of children’s rights, with 37 of these resulting in the tragic loss of lives or injuries during armed conflicts.”
Rampant gang violence, mainly affected the capital city, continues to plague Haiti where half the population, 5 million needs humanitarian support.
Mr. Maes said major crimes, including homicides and kidnappings, are escalating at an unprecedented rate, particularly in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite department.
Haitian National Police recorded 1,239 homicides between July and September, compared to 577 in the same period in 2022. Abductions also surged to 701 victims, representing a shocking 244 per cent increase.
In areas controlled by armed groups, places such as schools, health facilities and protection services have also come under attack.
UNICEF and partners have called for the protection of civilians, in particular children and women, and for the respect of international humanitarian law.
“Killing children is a grave violation of human rights,” said Mr. Maes.
He added that the repeated attacks, and access restrictions caused by the violence and insecurity, are hampering the ability to reach people in need.
Mr. Maes underlined UNICEF’s commitment “to take all measures to ensure the safety of children and their families and to reduce the suffering of the victims.”
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