The dire situation in Haiti continues to make headlines as children become increasingly entangled in the deadly webs of gang violence. A recent report by Amnesty International paints a bleak picture of how these young, innocent lives are being irrevocably altered by crime and coercion.
According to the report, children are being recruited by gangs, operating in various dangerous roles ranging from weapon carriers to unintended spies. One unnamed boy, among the 51 interviewed, shared that he was under constant pressure from gang members to join their ranks, witnessing brutal acts that contradicted his natural instincts. They killed people in front of me and asked me to burn their bodies. But I don’t have the heart for that, he confessed.
UNICEF estimates that children make up 30% to 50% of gang members, driven by desperation due to severe hunger and threats. A staggering near two million Haitians face starvation, with over a million children residing in territories dominated by gangs. Moreover, 85% of Port-au-Prince is reportedly under gang control.
An account from another youth illustrates the pervasive control gangs exert. This 16-year-old boy recounted his experience, saying, “(The gangs) are in control. And there is nothing you can do about it.” Such statements underscore the tragic reality that defiance leads to deadly consequences, impacting both the individual and their family.
The gendered violence adds another heart-wrenching layer to the saga. Girls and young women are victims of sexual violence, often left with lifelong trauma and limited access to health care. Stories of group rape, resulting in pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, are devastatingly common. One grim account from a teenager who attempted suicide by ingesting bleach only to be found and helped by strangers, speaks volumes of their desperation and despair.
Aside from gang threats, children also navigate dangers from vigilantes and law enforcement, who mistakenly target them as gang affiliates. The harrowing experiences shared by these youth emphasize deep mistrust in the authorities, who often lack the resources or willingness to act. As one 16-year-old victim soberly noted, There is no police…The only chief in town are the gang members.
Injuries and deaths are not uncommon. A 14-year-old girl shared her anguish after a stray bullet shattered her lip, not long after her brother was killed under similar circumstances. For children with disabilities, the situation is even bleaker, with sudden gang attacks leaving them to flee without crutches or wheelchairs.
Amnesty International calls on the Haitian government to urgently address the needs of vulnerable children through educational opportunities, mental health support, and due legal processes for those unjustly implicated in gang activities. Moreover, they urge the international community to provide substantial and sustained assistance to avert the loss of yet another generation to the scourge of violence.
Despite sobering statistics from the United Nations, with 128 child fatalities in 2023 and over 5,600 deaths last year, Haiti's National Police remain critically under-resourced. Efforts from a U.N.-backed Kenyan-led mission provide some hope, but challenges persist, with calls for transformation into a full-fledged U.N. peacekeeping operation echoing throughout the global community.
The world watches as Haiti's youth struggle against the odds. Their resilience and stories beg for actionable change and genuine support, to rewrite a future beyond the clutches of violence and regained hope.
