Rise in Sexual Violence Against Haitian Children Reaches 1,000%, According to UN Report

A UN report highlights a drastic surge in sexual violence against children in Haiti, where gang rule has plunged the nation into chaos.

Gang violence in Haiti has led to an alarming 1,000% increase in sexual violence against children, according to a recent report from UNICEF. In a grim account, UNICEF spokesman James Elder described the situation, stating that children’s bodies have become "battlegrounds" amidst the violent struggles for power in the region. It’s estimated that around 85% of Port-au-Prince is currently controlled by gangs, resulting in over one million children living under constant threat.

Elder recounted the harrowing story of a 16-year-old girl who was captured while shopping. She was brutally attacked, drugged, and raped for nearly a month before being released, as the gang deemed her family too impoverished to pay a ransom. Now in a UN shelter, she is one of many girls receiving care after such traumatic experiences.

The rise in gang control has led to significant lawlessness, the collapse of health services, and an escalating food security crisis. In just the past year, more than 5,600 lives were lost to gang violence. Meanwhile, Haiti's transitional presidential council, formed to restore democratic order and organize long-awaited elections, remains stagnant after replacing the interim prime minister last November.

Moreover, gangs are reportedly coercing children, some as young as eight, into joining their ranks. UNICEF emphasized that the essential elements required for a normal childhood are increasingly absent, as schools and hospitals are barely operational, leaving thousands of children without access to education.

In response to the crisis, UNICEF has introduced mobile safe spaces in Haiti to support affected children and curb sexual violence. However, when UNICEF called for $221.4 million to back its initiatives in the country last year, only 25% of that sum was received. The current suspension of US foreign aid threatens to exacerbate Haiti's plight, potentially leaving its urgent humanitarian needs unmet.