UNICEF warns that Haiti's escalating gang violence has led to an unprecedented rise in sexual violence against children, with urgent appeals for support amid a humanitarian crisis.
Alarming Increase in Child Sexual Violence in Haiti Amid Gang Violence, Reports UNICEF
Alarming Increase in Child Sexual Violence in Haiti Amid Gang Violence, Reports UNICEF
The UN children's organization highlights a shocking 1,000% surge in sexual violence against children in Haiti due to rampant gang control.
In a chilling report, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has revealed a staggering 1,000% increase in sexual violence against children in Haiti, attributing this surge to the violent control exercised by gangs in the country. Over the past few years, Haiti has been subjected to rampant gang activity, which has resulted in extreme brutality towards the population, particularly affecting its most vulnerable members.
According to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, an alarming 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is currently under gang control, leaving over a million children at constant risk of violence. He recounted the harrowing story of a 16-year-old girl who was abducted while shopping, subjected to beatings, drugging, and repeated rape for approximately a month. She was eventually released when the gang realized her family could not afford a ransom—a common plight throughout Haiti as kidnappings for extortion have surged.
The unchecked gang dominance has led to a significant breakdown of law and order, impacting health services and triggering a food security crisis, resulting in more than 5,600 homicide victims linked to gang violence last year. Amid these circumstances, Haiti's transitional presidential council (TPC) struggles with internal challenges, having failed to make substantial progress towards organizing much-needed elections.
Additionally, UNICEF reports that gangs have begun forcibly recruiting children, with some gang members as young as eight years old. The essential elements for a stable upbringing—such as education and healthcare—are in severe decline, leaving many children outside the schooling system as schools and hospitals barely function.
In response to this dire situation, UNICEF has established mobile safe spaces in Haiti to assist affected children and mitigate the risk of sexual violence. However, their appeal for $221.4 million to fund humanitarian efforts in Haiti yielded only a fraction of the requested amount, exacerbated by a US freeze on foreign aid that threatens to overlook Haiti's pressing needs yet again.
