In 2024 at least 131 children, including infants, were killed or injured in Haiti during violent attacks or clashes between armed groups and police. This is the alarm sounded by Save the Children. Based on an analysis of data verified by the UN, the organization said in a statement, in the first six months of 2024, an average of five children a week were killed or injured, but the real number is likely to be much higher. According to the United Nations, some were killed or injured by stray bullets, others targeted for their suspected support of rival gangs or the police, and still others, accused of minor offenses, were lynched and killed by members of the population,
In June, the first deployment of forces from the Multinational Security Support Mission (Mss), approved by the United Nations, arrived in Haiti to counter the violent armed groups that control the country's capital. Prior to the deployment of Mss forces, Save the Children, along with other humanitarian agencies, stressed that security forces would likely encounter children, both civilians and those involved in armed groups, putting them at new risks of being caught in the crossfire unless robust child protection measures were put in place, the statement continued.
"Words cannot explain the unimaginable suffering that the children of Haiti are enduring. Entire neighborhoods have been burned down, kidnappings and sexual assaults are rampant, and children are being directly targeted or caught in the crossfire," said Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children's country director in Haiti. "Behind these staggering numbers are children who have been seriously injured or killed. And the true extent of this crisis is likely worse than the verified numbers available. This year, our local partners and staff on the ground have witnessed a harrowing surge in violence against children. While the Multinational Security Mission (Mss) is a significant development, it could inadvertently lead to new risks for the youngest. Immediate and robust child protection measures are essential to prevent further suffering and safeguard them."
Save the Children calls for "transparency and guarantees from the Mss to ensure that forces have adopted robust child protection measures, have undergone pre-deployment training on child safeguarding, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (Sea) and gender-based violence, and have comprehensive plans for ongoing rights training after deployment."
In addition, the statement continued, "all security forces deployed in Haiti must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and respect for human rights." The Organization calls "on the members of the UN Security Council to use their power to end impunity for those responsible for the recruitment and illegal use of children and other serious violations against children, and on all parties in Haiti to allow the immediate, sustained and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance."
Save the Children has been working in Haiti since 1978, in both urban and rural communities, providing cash assistance to enable families to purchase basic necessities, providing health and nutrition assistance, and supporting children's access to quality education.
