The ongoing food crisis forces Haitian children to join criminal groups – JURIST

Hunger and poverty have pushed Haitian children to join criminal groups, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Wednesday. Children who become part of criminal groups are forced into illegal activities and face abuse, including sexual exploitation, and threats of abuse and death. Although many children want to leave the criminal groups, they fear hunger, rejection and stigmatization.

HRW emphasized that the country’s ongoing food crisis is a key factor driving children into criminal groups. The inability of families to care for their children and the lack of legal options to provide the necessities of life have made criminal groups the “only source of food, shelter and income” for these children. Recruitments increased in response to law enforcement operations by the Multinational Security Support Mission and the Haitian National Police.

Once recruited, children are trained in the use of weapons and forced to participate in violent activities against police and rival groups. Furthermore, girls are particularly vulnerable in criminal groups, where they face sexual abuse and forced domestic labor. Many are also kidnapped at risk or given up by their families in exchange for protection.

HRW urges the transitional government and international agencies to implement a “comprehensive strategy for children associated with criminal groups” in line with international human rights standards, especially regarding the treatment of children, stressing the importance of demobilization and reintegration in addition to the protection of children is emphasized. The organization is also calling for strengthening Haiti’s education, health care and justice systems, which are needed to ensure that crucial services are available and survivors of abuse can be cared for.

In January 2024, Haiti and the UN signed a protocol for the transfer of children suspected of having links to armed gangs to civilian child protection actors. However, HRW claims that shortages of resources and coordination have undermined full implementation and left children in custody in inhumane conditions, often sharing cells with adults. This violates Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which requires children in detention to be held separately from adults.

Widespread gang violence, especially in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has led to mass displacement, with more than 700,000 people internally displaced, about half of whom are children. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization also reported that 608,000 people need assistance to prevent further famine, with around 125,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Gang violence has also seriously disrupted education. Nearly 1,000 schools in Haiti’s Western Department are now closed, depriving children of education and school meals. From January to September 2024 alone, violence killed more than 100 children, further deteriorating the situation.

In June, UN development specialist and former Prime Minister Garry Conille took on the role of Prime Minister of Haiti in the transitional government. He has pledged to work to improve the situation for children in Haiti, but progress remains slow due to ongoing violence.