Haiti: An average of five children per week killed or injured in gun violence in 2024 – Save the Children – Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, August 13, 2024 – According to Save the Children, at least 131 children, including babies, were killed or injured in Haiti in 2024 during violent attacks on their neighborhoods or fighting between armed groups and police.

An average of five children per week were killed or injured by armed violence in Haiti in the first six months of 2024, according to an analysis of UN-verified data. However, the true number of child victims is likely much higher.

While some children were killed or wounded by stray bullets, others were reportedly targeted for their suspected support of rival gangs or the police, the UN said. In addition, other children accused of minor crimes were lynched and killed by members of the public.

In June, the UN-sanctioned Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission began deploying security forces to Haiti to tackle the violent armed groups taking over the country’s capital. Ahead of the MSS deployment, Save the Children, along with other aid agencies, warned that security forces are likely to encounter children, both civilians and those associated with armed groups, putting children at significant new risk of being caught in the crossfire unless robust child protection measures are put in place.

Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children’s country director in Haiti, said:

“We are speechless at the unimaginable suffering that children in Haiti are enduring. Entire neighborhoods have been burned down, kidnappings and sexual assaults are commonplace, and children are either directly attacked or caught in the crossfire.

“Behind these horrific numbers are real children who have been seriously injured or killed. And the true scale of this crisis is likely even worse than the verified numbers available. Our local partners and staff on the ground have seen a heartbreaking increase in violence against children this year.

“While the Multinational Security Support mission is an important development, it may inadvertently introduce new risks to children. Immediate and robust child protection measures are crucial to prevent further suffering and protect these vulnerable lives.”

Save the Children calls on the MSS for transparency and guarantees to ensure that troops have robust child protection measures in place, have undergone pre-deployment training on child protection, preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and gender-based violence, and have comprehensive plans for continued rights training post-deployment.

In addition, all security forces deployed in Haiti must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and respect for human rights. The children’s rights organization also calls on members of the UN Security Council to use their powers to end impunity for those responsible for the unlawful recruitment and use of children and other serious violations against children, and calls on all parties in Haiti to allow immediate, sustained and unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance.

Save the Children has been working in Haiti since 1978, in both urban and rural communities. We provide financial assistance to help families purchase basic necessities, provide health and nutrition support, and help children access quality education.

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