According to the latest estimates, children now comprise up to half of all armed group members, with recruitment driven by widespread poverty, lack of education and collapse of essential services.
A schoolgirl in Port-au-Prince holds up a sign in French which reads ‘peace’.
Protection and recovery efforts
In response to the protection crisis facing children recruited by armed groups or at risk of recruitment, UNICEF has implemented several initiatives including training security forces and civil society organisations on child protection measures. They also provide care for former child soldiers, along with psychosocial support and family reunification services.
UNICEF is calling on all parties in Haiti to prioritise child protection, support the immediate release of recruited children and ensure their rights are central to any agreements.
“Children in many parts of Haiti are subjected to atrocities no child should ever have to experience,” Ms. Russell emphasised, adding that it “leaves them with psychological and emotional scars that might haunt them for a lifetime.”
Violence against women and girls
Monday marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reiterated that the crisis is having a disproportionate impact on women and girls.
According to humanitarian partners, 5,400 incidents of gender-based violence were reported in Haiti between January and October, although the true figure is likely to be much higher.
OCHA noted that critical services for survivors of gender-based violence, as well as for sexual and reproductive health, remain severely underfunded in Haiti.
The UN sexual and reproductive healthy agency, UNFPA, requires $28 million for those services this year, but has received $5.4 million so far, or just 19 per cent of the funding.