Haiti's Desperate Youth: The Alarming Rise of Child Gang Recruitment

Children in Haiti are being recruited by gangs at an alarming rate, with up to 50% of gang members now minors. UNICEF reports a 70% increase in child recruitment as poverty and violence worsen. Young boys serve as informers or are forced into attacks, while girls face domestic and sexual servitude.

UNICEF has issued a grave warning as child recruitment by gangs in Haiti has surged by 70% over the past year. The organization reveals that between 30% to 50% of gang members are now minors, underscoring an alarming trend amid accelerating poverty and violence.

Haiti's political instability contributes to the crisis, with gangs seizing control over vast areas of Port-au-Prince. Children, thrust into these criminal enterprises, are coerced into various roles from informers to active participants in violence. Girls are further victimized through forced domestic servitude and sexual exploitation.

This crisis is exacerbated by extreme poverty, with many families living on less than $4 a day. In such dire circumstances, the vulnerable youth find themselves easy targets for gangs promising monetary rewards. This alarming trend demands urgent attention and intervention to safeguard Haiti's future generations.

(With inputs from agencies.)