In 2024, Haiti is witnessing a grim and tragic trend: every week, at least five children are being killed or injured. This alarming statistic, reported by the charity Save the Children, shines a harsh light on the escalating violence that’s tearing through the country. As gangs tighten their grip on the capital, the most vulnerable—children—are being caught in the deadly crossfire.
Haiti’s cry for help dates back to 2022 when the nation, crippled by a police force too thinly spread and under-equipped, called for an international security mission. The goal? To push back against the violent gangs that have turned the capital into a war zone, a place where indiscriminate killings, gang rapes, extortion, and the horrifying recruitment of minors are all too common.
But progress has been painfully slow. To date, only 400 Kenyan police officers have been deployed under a U.N.-sanctioned mission, a fraction of what’s needed. Despite promises, many nations have fallen short on delivering the funds, personnel, and armored vehicles essential to restoring some semblance of order.
According to Save the Children, relying on U.N. data, at least 131 children have been killed or injured in just the first half of 2024. These young lives are often lost or shattered by stray bullets, caught in the chaos, or targeted in brutal reprisals for affiliations—real or perceived—with rival gangs or the police. The reality is likely much grimmer, with many cases going unreported or undiscovered.
“These numbers are not just statistics; they represent real children—lives lost, futures destroyed,” said Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, the director of Save the Children in Haiti. “Entire neighborhoods are being incinerated, kidnappings and sexual assaults are rampant, and our children are either directly targeted or tragically caught in the middle.”
In late July, a Kenyan police mission to Ganthier, a community near the Dominican Republic border, ended abruptly. The police found themselves under siege by gang gunfire, and their retreat highlighted a glaring lack of preparedness and resources. By August 1, violence in Ganthier had driven nearly 6,000 residents from their homes, according to U.N. data.
Save the Children is urging the U.N. Security Council to put an end to the impunity that allows such atrocities to continue. They’re also calling on all factions in Haiti to permit the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid—a lifeline for those trapped in this nightmare.
With schools scheduled to reopen on October 1, the situation is even more dire. Many of these schools, once places of learning and safety, have been turned into makeshift refugee camps. The conflict has displaced nearly 600,000 people, and the prospect of children returning to any sense of normalcy seems a distant dream.
