According to Save the Children, in Haiti, violence and clashes between gangs are commonplace, with over one million children - equivalent to a quarter of the child population - trapped in areas controlled by armed groups.
A state of emergency has been declared throughout the country until April 3, but the situation is particularly critical in the capital, Port-au-Prince. There, criminal groups have taken control of around 90% of the city, turning other urban areas into actual battlegrounds.
This humanitarian crisis jeopardizes the lives and futures of entire generations, demanding urgent and coordinated actions to protect children and ensure their access to essential goods and vital services.
Chantal Imbeault, Save the Children's national director in Haiti, has denounced the situation in the country as a real danger. Criminal gangs are indeed turning urban areas into actual battlegrounds, forcing families to live in constant fear and isolation.
People are trapped in their homes, deprived of access to food, water, and medical care.
This crisis has also disrupted children's education, putting them at risk of recruitment by armed groups and sexual violence.
The leader of a criminal gang in Haiti has threatened to unleash a "civil war" in the country if Prime Minister Ariel Henry remains in power. In an attempt to counter the escalating violence, the government has consequently extended the nighttime curfew until March 20.
To address the situation, the UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting, where the head of the UN mission in Port-au-Prince, Maria Isabel Salvador, presented a report on the recent developments in the situation.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on the other hand, has issued a fresh appeal to the international community to mobilize, especially from a financial perspective, to adopt measures capable of addressing the serious challenges the population is facing.
To read more, visit:
https://reliefweb.int/report/haiti/more-one-million-children-trapped-gang-violence-rages-haiti
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2024/3/17/could-haiti-be-on-the-brink-of-collapse
https://www.savethechildren.net/news/more-one-million-children-trapped-gang-violence-rages-haiti
