Escalating armed violence in Haiti has triggered a profound humanitarian crisis, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned on Wednesday.
At least 170,000 children are now displaced – double the number from last year – amid a surge in gang-led killings and kidnappings, sexual violence and a severe food crisis.
“In Haiti, children and families are enduring relentless waves of brutal violence, with each day bringing new horrors, the loss of loved ones, homes being destroyed by fire, and an ever-present shadow of fear,” said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in the country, who visited three displacement sites in the capital Port-au-Prince.
Clashes in the capital
Latest UNICEF data revealed that nearly 314,000 people, roughly half of them children, have been uprooted across Haiti, mainly in the capital and the Artibonite department.
In less than two weeks, nearly 2,500 people, most of them women and children, have been newly displaced following clashes in the Solino and Gabelliste areas in the capital.
UNICEF estimates that three million children across Haiti will require humanitarian aid this year. The agency is seeking $221.7 million to respond to needs.
