The enduring hope of Haiti’s children in the midst of chaos

PORT AU PRINCE, 24 March 2025 – “Spending four days with communities and partners in Haiti, still grappling with an ongoing crisis often forgotten by the international community, underscored how heavy the toll is for children and young people in the country. Vulnerable families are being pushed to the edge of catastrophe in the centre of the country as chaos continues to deprive children of lifesaving services and exposes them to severe protection risks. Their present and future are literally under attack.

“Armed groups now control an estimated 85 per cent of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of the food growing Artibonite region—forcing hundreds of thousands to flee and putting over a million children at risk. Access to affected communities is increasingly constrained by insecurity and the presence of armed groups.

“I visited a school-turned-displacement site in Port-au-Prince which is housing more than 7,000 people, half of whom are children. I met mothers, fathers, and children who had been forced to run for their lives, leaving everything behind. The trauma was palpable. Families spoke of fleeing through gunfire, their homes burned to ashes, their access to food, water, and healthcare abruptly cut off.

“Children are being caught in the crossfire. Some are injured, others displaced or orphaned. I also witnessed the incredible resilience of Haitians in this site, as I saw many displaced women running small stalls, selling household items like soap or bread to make a meagre living, anything to help support their children. These women were not giving up, despite all they had endured.

“The situation of the health system is critical. Over half the country’s hospitals are no longer operational, with only one public hospital functioning in the capital. In Gonaives, in Artibonite, I visited a busy health centre on the brink of shutting down. It serves up to 500 people a day, including new mothers and babies, pregnant women, malnourished children, and victims of sexual violence. The medical director told me clearly—without UNICEF’s continued support, they will no longer be able to operate. Haiti’s already fragile healthcare system is collapsing under the pressure of ongoing violence and increasingly limited resources but social service delivery systems are still functioning outside of the areas controlled by armed groups and need to be sustained.

“Education is no longer a sanctuary for children —it is under siege, with nearly 1.5 million children out of school or at serious risk of dropping out altogether. Hundreds of schools have been destroyed, or occupied, or are being used as temporary shelters for displaced persons.

“In one school, I found hope. I met a 14-year-old teenage girl who had been raped and shot in the face. Despite the trauma she carries, she continues to attend her school—a school that once hosted 300 students but is now stretched to accommodate an additional 700 children displaced from another school forced to relocate due to escalating attacks by armed groups. She told me that despite everything that happened to her, when she steps into her classroom, she finds a sense of hope. Amid the chaos and overcrowding, she holds tightly to her dream of becoming a doctor. She refuses to let go—and neither should we.

“Without access to education, these children’s future is being stolen. Without protection, they face recruitment into armed groups or exposure to unspeakable violence. We estimate that 30%-50% of armed groups are composed of children. Girls are increasingly at risk of being targeted by gender-based and sexual violence by these groups, as well as in some displacement sites which do not have sufficient protection in place.

“In meetings with the President of the Transitional Council, the Prime Minister, and Ministers, we agreed on the urgent need to protect children and ensure access to essential services. Amidst ongoing challenges, both UNICEF and the Government reaffirmed their commitment to children’s rights and well-being, with a focus on health, education, protection, and adolescent/youth development. We underscored the value of coordinated action led by the Government of Haiti working with its technical and financial partners such as UNICEF and of government providing adequate and sustained resource allocations including in for the humanitarian response to ensure the provision of basic social services for children and complement investments by its partners. 

“UNICEF is committed to a targeted, effective and efficient humanitarian response for Haiti’s children. But we cannot do it alone. Our humanitarian appeal for Haiti requires US$272 million to meet the most urgent needs of children with only US$15 million received to date.  UNICEF is working to reach 128,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Haiti, a form of malnutrition that results in a 10-fold increase in risk of death if not treated.   Without sustained funding from government and its partners, including UNICEF, each of these children is at heightened risk. 

“The current funding crisis for humanitarian assistance goes far beyond Haiti… this is happening around the world, and the most vulnerable children are bearing the brunt. What I saw in Haiti was some the most vulnerable children in desperate need. But I also saw hope – Haiti's children still have hope for a brighter future, they are going to school whenever they can, they are refusing to give up on their lives, on their country.

“Now is not the time to give up on Haiti.  Now, at a time of transition, is the time to invest in Haiti’s children, in their future, to prevent a generation lost to violence. “

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