SAN JUAN, NOV 25 – Gangs in Haiti are now recruiting children at an unprecedented rate, with the number of recruits increasing by 70 percent within a year, according to a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ) which was released today.
Currently, it is estimated that between 30 percent and 50 percent of all gang members in Haiti, a country plagued by violence, are children, according to United Nations (UN) data.
“This is a very worrying trend,” said UNICEF representative in Haiti, Geeta Narayan.
The phenomenon occurred amid worsening poverty and widespread violence due to political instability. Gangs that now control 85 percent of Port-au-Prince are attacking once peaceful communities in their bid to gain full control of the capital.
Boys are often used as informants because they are considered ‘invisible’ and not seen as a threat, Narayan explained in a phone interview from Haiti. Some of the children were given weapons and forced to engage in attacks.
As for girls, they are forced to cook, clean and in some cases are made ‘wives’ by gang members.
“They are not doing this voluntarily,” Narayan said. “Even if they hold weapons, these children are still victims in this situation,” he added. – AP