UNICEF reports 1 in 8 children internally displaced in Haiti

By Anjali Sharma

UNITED NATIONS – According to the UNICEF on Friday stated taht the humanitarian crisis in Haiti has reached a critical point, with one in 8 children now internally displaced due to escalating violence fuelled by armed groups who continue to control most of the capital.

The latest data revealed that over 500,000 children have been forced from their homes a shocking 48 per cent increase since September.

More than one million Haitians are internally displaced, half of whom are children urgently requiring humanitarian aid.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said “It is a horrific time to be a child in Haiti, with violence upending lives and forcing more children and families from their homes,”.

“Children desperately need safety, protection and access to essential services. We cannot look away,” she emphasised.

Decades of political instability, poverty and inequality have enabled the rise of armed groups and the impact on children has been devastating.

Reports indicated a 70% surge in child recruitment over the past year with minors making up as much as 50 per cent of their ranks. This recruitment violates international law and constitutes a grave violation of children’s rights.

The displacement crisis has left children especially vulnerable to violence, including sexual violence, exploitation and abuse.

Incidents of sexual violence against children have increased by 1,000 per cent in the last year, the agency said.

Access to basic services such as education, healthcare, clean water and sanitation has been severely disrupted, leaving children at heightened risk of malnutrition and disease.

Over 6,000 people are enduring famine-like conditions, and unsanitary displacement sites have created fertile ground for cholera outbreaks.

Haiti has recorded nearly 88,000 suspected cases of the disease, which disproportionately affects children.

A young child whose family fled violence sits in a makeshift shelter in Port-au-Prince.

The crisis is particularly acute in the metropolitan area of the capital Port-au-Prince, where violence and instability are rampant.

UNICEF reported that by December, attempted sieges of residential neighbourhoods forced approximately 40,000 people to flee their homes in just two weeks.

The agency estimates that 3 million children nationwide need humanitarian assistance, with 1.2 million children in immediate danger across the city.

UNICEF has urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities and end violations of children’s rights, including recruitment by armed groups and all forms of sexual violence.

The agency has called for unimpeded access for humanitarian workers to reach those in need, including displaced populations.

“Children in Haiti are bearing the brunt of a crisis they did not create,” Ms. Russell said. “They rely on the Haitian Government and international community to take urgent action to protect their lives and safeguard their futures,” she emphasized.