Children in Haiti falling prey to gruesome gang violence, Amnesty warns

Report estimates that much than a cardinal children unrecorded successful areas controlled by oregon nether the power of equipped gangs.

Gangs successful Haiti are recruiting children and targeting them with unit and intersexual assault, Amnesty International said successful a study detailing the effects of the long-running civilian unrest ravaging the Caribbean nation.

A study published connected Wednesday estimates that much than 1 cardinal children unrecorded successful areas controlled by oregon nether the power of equipped gangs successful Haiti, and condemned offences committed against young radical arsenic “human rights abuses”.

Haiti has nary president oregon parliament and is ruled by a transitional body, which is struggling to negociate utmost unit linked to transgression gangs, poorness and different challenges. More than 5,600 radical were killed successful Haiti past twelvemonth arsenic a effect of pack violence, astir a 1000 much than successful 2023, according to the United Nations.

Amnesty’s study echoes concerns voiced by the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, successful November. The radical reported past that pack recruitment of children successful the state has risen by 70 percent, and that betwixt 30 to 50 percent of pack members successful Haiti are children.

The caller study highlights 14 Haitian children recruited by gangs to spy connected rival groups and police, arsenic good arsenic to transportation retired enactment specified arsenic making deliveries oregon repairing vehicles.

One of the children interviewed said helium was perpetually pressured by a pack to combat alongside it.

“They killed radical successful beforehand of maine and asked maine to pain their bodies. But I don’t person the bosom for that,” the unidentified lad was quoted arsenic saying.

If children garbage to travel a gang’s orders, they oregon their families would beryllium killed, according to the report, which relied connected interviews and probe conducted from May to October 2024.

Haitian girls are predominant victims of abductions, rape and different intersexual assaults during pack attacks, Amnesty said.

Haiti has nary president oregon parliament and is ruled by a transitional body, which is struggling to negociate utmost unit linked to transgression gangs, poorness and different challenges [Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters]

The unit besides has led to wounded and death.

One girl, 14, recounted however a ricocheting slug pierced her articulator successful September 2024. Three months earlier that, her 17-year-old member died from a stray bullet.

“I mislaid a immense beingness successful my life. Since then, I don’t cognize however to beryllium happy,” the miss said.

Amnesty besides identified attacks connected schools and hospitals, arsenic good arsenic the blocking of humanitarian aid, arsenic examples of “grave violations” suffered by children.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies