Since November 11, escalating violence and insecurity in Port-au-Prince have displaced 41,000 people, with over 21,000 children among them, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Save the Children revealed that many of these children have been forced to relocate multiple times over the past two years.
This marks the highest wave of displacement since January 2023. Many families now seek shelter in overcrowded schools or with host families, often without adequate access to food, clean water, or healthcare.
Save the Children has urged unrestricted access for aid workers and life-saving supplies in Haiti, particularly in the capital, where severe malnutrition and hunger are rampant.
The surge in violence coincides with a 70% rise in child recruitment by gangs in the past year, according to the UN. Some children are forcibly conscripted, while others join to survive.
The violence follows political turmoil, including the firing of Haiti’s interim prime minister amid corruption allegations. With gangs controlling 85% of Port-au-Prince, a Kenya-led police mission has struggled to restore stability.
