The children of Haiti are increasingly trapped in the crossfire of the violence of the gangs, forced to transport weapons, spy on the police and rival gangs and make errands for armed men, according to a report published Wednesday by Amnesty International.
One of the 51 children interviewed by the human rights group said that a gang constantly pressed him to fight with him.
“They killed people in front of me and asked me to burn their bodies. But I don’t have the heart for that, ”said the unidentified child.
It is estimated that from 30% to 50% of gang members are now children, according to UNICEF.
Amnesty International said children “had no choice, and that their participation was predominantly for hunger or fear.”
Almost two million people are on the edge of the starvation in Haiti, and it is estimated that more than one million children live in gang-controlled areas, with 85% of the capital of Prince Port-Au under his government.
An unidentified child, 16, said he has paid for mandating for a gang.
“(The gangs” have control. And there is nothing you can do about it, “he said.
If the children refuse to follow the orders of a gang, they or their family would be killed, according to the report, which was based on a total of 112 interviews and investigations carried out from May to October last year.
Children are not only in danger of gangs, but of guards and police who believe they are working for them, according to Amnesty International.
Young girls and women have also been violated collectively by gang members and infected with sexually transmitted diseases, often ending pregnant in a country where medical care is extremely limited.
A teenager was raped by six men and his sister for another five.
“There was a lot of blood,” said the younger sister not identified in an interview.
Another teenager told how Bleach drank to try to commit suicide after having a baby after being raped by three men who then left her naked in public.
“People found me on the street and put a dress,” he said.
Amnesty International said that many of the interviewees “made fun of the idea of informing their attacks on the authorities.”
A 16 -year -old girl who was kidnapped and raped by several gang members said: “Are you joking? It is not possible … there is no police … the only boss in the city are the members of the gang. “
Violence has also caused injuries and death.
A 14 -year -old girl reported how a rebound bullet drilled her lip in September 2024. Three months before that, her 17 -year -old brother died of a lost bullet.
“I lost a great presence in my life. Since then, I don’t know how to be happy, ”said the girl.
Violence is especially punishing children with disabilities, and some report how they had to leave crutches and wheelchairs during sudden gang attacks in their neighborhoods.
Amnesty International asked the Haitian government to better support children, restore education, provide mental health services and resume judicial procedures against suspicious children of ties with gangs that are detained without charge.
He also said that more resources are needed, including training and security, to help reintegrate children to society.
“The international community cannot continue making empty promises,” the report said. “The country needs immediate and sustained technical and financial assistance to rescue a generation of children who are lost to repeated cycles of gang violence.”
In 2023, 128 killed children were reported, according to the UN, while the figure was not available for last year, he found that more than 5,600 people were killed in 2024, according to the organization.
The National Police of Haiti, who has underground and little personal funds, is working along with a mission supported by the Kenyan police led by Kenya’s police to help quell the violence of the gangs.
However, the mission lacks funds and personnel, and the United States and other countries have been pressing to transform it into a mission of non -toll.
