Sexual violence against children rises by 1,000% in Haiti – UN official

The year 2024 has seen a staggering 1,000 per cent or ten-fold surge in sexual violence against children in Haiti, during an unprecedented crisis which has seen armed gangs continue to terrorise communities amid a growing humanitarian disaster.

Virginia Gamba, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, highlighted the impact on children of the extreme levels of brutality and lawlessness across the country.

“Children are being used by armed gangs in Haiti and we are witnessing some recent troubling trends, notably the use of sexual violence, including rape and collective rape, as a weapon of war by gangs.”

“I call on all actors to ensure that children are protected from violence, including sexual violence, and clashes and that they are not involved in hostilities,” she said in a statement on Monday.

Meanwhile, political instability continues to plague the Caribbean island nation as members of the transitional governing council which was formed in April, removed interim Prime Minister Garry Conille from office amid reported in-fighting, replacing him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime.

Conille, a former UN official, was appointed interim Prime Minister only in June.

The crisis in Haiti has also disrupted essential services, including education and healthcare, leaving over 300,000 children without access to schools.

Gangs have targeted hospitals and schools in the capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Schools have turned into temporary shelters for the thousands displaced by violence.

This surge reflects the stark vulnerability of minors in a country where approximately 2.7 million people, including 1.6 million women and children, live in areas under gang control.

Alarmingly, children under 18 years of age are estimated to make up between a third and half of the gang members.

Gamba called upon all actors and those with influence “to do everything to prevent grave violations against children” and to immediately hand them over to civilian child protection officials.

She highlighted the urgent need for safe and unobstructed humanitarian access to provide critical services and renewed the call for enhanced voluntary contributions to the UN-administered trust fund, which supports the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) to bolster Haiti’s security and respond to humanitarian needs.

The MSS mission, which was reauthorised by the UN Security Council in September for another year, is seen as pivotal to stabilising the country. It however lacks sufficient police officers and funding, restricting its operations.

The humanitarian impact of the violence extends far beyond immediate threats.

In October, armed clashes in Port-au-Prince’s neighbourhoods of Solino and Tabarre, and the adjoining district of Arcahaie led to mass displacements, compounding existing aid challenges.

Estimates indicate that over 12,600 people were displaced in Solino and Tabarre alone, with many forced into makeshift shelters.

The UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported that 58 per cent of these displaced individuals found refuge in 14 sites, including newly created shelters following the outbreaks of violence.

Arcahaie witnessed a parallel wave of displacement, with over 21,000 people fleeing their homes.