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Armed gangs in Haiti are increasingly recruiting children into their ranks due to deteriorating conditions in the country, and girls are being subjected to abuse, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned.
In a report published on October 9, 2024, HRW revealed that hundreds, if not thousands, of children have been forced into illegal activities and face grave violations after joining these criminal groups. The report attributes this to extreme poverty and widespread hunger.
Nathalie Cotrino, a crisis and conflict researcher at HRW, explained that many children are enrolled in
criminal groups because “there are few options for survival.” Once involved, these children engage in illegal activities, putting their lives at serious risk.
Cotrino urged Haiti’s transitional government to take immediate action to limit the violence by focusing on improving children’s lives. She emphasized the need to provide protection and access to essential goods and services, such as education, as well as legal pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration.
The report also highlighted the plight of girls who are forced into criminal groups, where they suffer sexual violence and are exploited for manual labor, including cooking and cleaning for gang leaders and members.
According to UNICEF, criminal gangs control nearly 80% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and its surrounding urban areas, with their influence spreading into other regions. Approximately 2.7 million people live under gang control, including half a million children.
Human rights and humanitarian organizations, along with government officials, estimate that at least 30% of criminal gang members in Haiti are children. The Haitian government has further estimated that several thousand children are involved in these gangs, participating in activities ranging from extortion and looting to violent crimes such as murder and abduction.
The report detailed how children’s criminal status is shaped by their recruitment and exploitation by these groups. HRW interviewed 16 children (12 boys and 4 girls) from communities controlled by gangs.
It also described how children’s roles within these criminal hierarchies are determined by their loyalty, with higher ranks earned through greater involvement in illegal activities.
In addition to the recruitment crisis, the report outlined the broader humanitarian situation in Haiti. It noted that around 125,000 children are suffering from critical malnutrition, while nearly 3 million – half of Haiti’s child population – require humanitarian assistance.
Same Justice called for thorough investigations into the illegal recruitment of children and demanded that those responsible be held accountable. The organisation also urged international bodies to apply humanitarian principles, particularly by preventing the recruitment of child soldiers in the armed groups they support.
