(Adnkronos) – “The humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti continues to worsen. Every day, Haitians suffer some of the worst abuses and threats to their lives recorded worldwide. Armed groups regularly commit serious violations of children’s rights, including killing and maiming. So far this year, we have recorded a staggering 1,000% increase in episodes of sexual violence against children”. This was stated by Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director and Principal Advocate on the humanitarian situation in Haiti for the Inter Agency Standing Committee at the ECOSOC-Special Session on Haiti.
“It is an abomination. As if that were not enough, armed groups actively recruit and use children in their operations. We estimate that children represent 30-50% of the members of armed groups… while the total number of children recruited by armed groups has increased by 70% in the past year. They are used as informants, cooks and sex slaves and are forced to perpetrate violence themselves,” she added.
“Across the country,” she reported, “five and a half million people, including three million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance… and most of them face severe food insecurity. More than 700,000 people, including 365,000 children, are internally displaced and living in overcrowded camps or shelters. Basic services such as water, sanitation and healthcare have collapsed, putting children and families at risk of disease, including cholera. In Port-au-Prince, many hospitals and health facilities have been forced to close for security reasons. And 1.5 million children have lost access to education.”
“To make matters worse,” Russell added, “violence and insecurity are undermining the ability of humanitarian workers to consistently reach Haitians in need. We continue to have limited access to areas controlled by armed groups… where 2.7 million people remain, including 1.6 million women and children. As a result, hundreds of thousands of children and families living in besieged communities are largely cut off from humanitarian aid.”
“Despite the violence and limited access,” she then reported, “humanitarian workers continue to provide assistance to people in need. So far this year, UNICEF and our partners have reached more than 259,000 people with critical water, sanitation and hygiene supplies… have provided 183,000 children and women with basic healthcare services… have screened 323,000 children under five for severe acute malnutrition… and have provided 61,000 children with psychosocial support.”
“But,” she further commented, “with conditions worsening by the day, we urgently need to scale up the humanitarian response. This requires greater support from the international community. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is only 43% funded. Critically underfunded sectors include child protection, education and nutrition. UNICEF urges Member States to act urgently to respond to the growing humanitarian needs in Haiti. This includes increasing flexible funding for humanitarian operations… investing in basic social services and development assistance to support recovery… and supporting the work of the Multinational Security Support Mission.”
“Furthermore,” she concluded, “UNICEF continues to call on all actors and armed groups to protect human rights, to end grave violations of children’s rights, to cease attacks on civilian infrastructure, to immediately release all children and to facilitate the unhindered access of humanitarian workers to safely reach communities in need.”
UNICEF also urges the Multinational Security Support Mission and the Haitian police to prioritize the safety and protection of all children, including those who have been recruited and used by armed groups. Appropriate handover protocols should be in place to ensure that all children encountered in military operations are safely transferred to civilian child protection actors for their recovery and reintegration. Haiti’s population has suffered too much, for too long. The international community has the tools and resources to help the country emerge from crisis and embark on a path of lasting recovery. The Haitian people, and especially the children of Haiti, are counting on us. We must not let them down.”
