Haiti [still] in Crisis
Last October, Politics4Her released a statement calling on the international community and other human rights organizations to turn their eye to the dangerous situation in Haiti. Over a year has passed and little has improved. In fact, for many, it has only worsened. Women and girls are amongst the most vulnerable and the violence perpetrated against them has increased. Even more concerning is the rate of children being forced into these gangs. The world has abandoned Haiti and refuses to look at their pain.
Criminal organizations in Haiti still maintain control of about 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince and they do so with impunity. Gang control has spread throughout the small island, with many saying it’s the worst it’s ever been. Since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, violent organized crime organizations have become emboldened in their control of people. Efforts to restore stability, including the UN-backed force led by Kenya, have not been successful in quilling violence. Amongst the most targeted are women and children.
Children in Haiti are in an impossible situation. Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world and with little opportunity and resources, children are perfect targets for recruitment. Many join as a result of threats to themselves or their families but many also join with hopes of earning money and protection. Girls specifically are often brought in to cook and clean for gang members; sexual violence is often used as a means of control over these girls. Schools are either not accessible or unavailable, so these children have no other option. The situation has become so dire that it is estimated that between 30-50% of gang members in Haiti are children.
Assisting children who are in armed groups is a long and complex process. Re-integration as well as re-education is key. They have been exposed to violence, as well as groomed to carry it out, at a pivotal point in their development. There are many child rights advocates on the ground in Haiti working to help these children in these situations. Ultimately, they say that no efforts are going to be successful until the basic needs are addressed. Re-integration and getting children out of the armed-groups will not be sustainable if access to food, education, health care, and employment are provided. Without this, they will go right back to the gangs.
The violence of these gangs know no bounds. Just recently on 6 December gangs used machetes and knives to kill at least 60 people. On 7 December they killed 50. This massacre took place in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the capital. After this weekend, the death toll in Haiti for this year alone is 5,000 people. This comes after the leader of the gang heard that elderly people in the neighborhood used witchcraft on his child, leading to his child’s death. These gangs act with impunity, knowing that they will more than likely not face consequences for the actions due to the power and control they hold. On top of the staggering number of killings, in the past two weeks over 41,000 people fled their homes, totaling to 700,000 people being displaced on the island.
It is paramount that more attention is given to Haiti. More resources and aid has to be delivered. It is worth acknowledging that the gangs make it especially difficult for humanitarian aid to be delivered, but that does not mean the international community should give up. Children deserve to have options and protection from gang recruitment. Women and girls need more protection in refugee camps, where sexual violence is alarmingly high. It is beyond time for action. 2024 has been a year full of violence throughout the world, and we must take special care and ensure that we uplift all places that are in crisis. Haiti matters. Let’s act like it.
Sources:
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15674.doc.htm
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/22/haitis-children-dragged-into-hell-as-gang-violence-rages
