Children now represent approximately half of the gang members controlling significant parts of Haiti, according to Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Frazier’s statement followed her initial fact-finding mission to the Caribbean nation.
She reported that an estimated 1,600 schools have been destroyed, damaged, or are non-operational. “Today, children in Haiti are facing levels of violence that no child, anywhere, should ever endure,” Frazier stated.
In a country marked by prolonged gang violence and disorder, Frazier described growing up in Haiti as a “daily struggle to survive, live in constant fear, and be subject to intimidation, violence, family separation, displacement, and trauma” as gangs exploit the vulnerability of children.
The recruitment and use of children by gangs nearly tripled in 2025 alone. Concurrently, incidents of killing, maiming, and abduction of children almost doubled. Sexual violence has also become rampant, increasingly employed as a deliberate tactic to instill fear and punish communities.
Children Are Victims, Not Perpetrators
Frazier noted that the Haitian Government and its partners have assured her that child protection is a central focus of their agenda. A significant development includes the implementation of a handover protocol, signed with the UN in 2024, to facilitate the transfer of children associated with gangs to child protection services.
For children accused of serious crimes, Frazier emphasized that international juvenile justice standards apply, with detention being a last resort. “I stressed in all my meetings that children encountered during security operations must be treated first and foremost as victims,” she said. “They must be swiftly handed over to child protection services for care, protection, and reintegration.”
However, Frazier cautioned that this principle is not always being adhered to by authorities and called for immediate changes. She reported on the dire conditions at CERMICOL, an overcrowded detention facility in Port-au-Prince, where 80 children have been held for years without charges, many on suspicion of gang association. “None has ever been seen by a judge. Most do not receive visits from their families. They are on their own,” she stated.
‘Window of Opportunity’ for Change
Ahead of the Security Council-mandated Gang Suppression Force (GSF) operation launch on June 1, Frazier urged authorities to end the mistreatment and release the children held at CERMICOL, in accordance with the handover protocol. “I want to emphasize that there is a window of opportunity now to do the right thing as the GSF deploys. Security and child protection cannot be separated,” she declared.
Efforts are also being intensified for the long-term reintegration of children, particularly in Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes. A facility in Les Cayes is being renovated to accommodate up to 600 children separated from gangs.
Broader Humanitarian Crisis Exacerbates Suffering
The widespread humanitarian and protection crisis is intensifying the suffering of children. Many reside in areas fully controlled by armed gangs, isolated from essential services like schools, healthcare, and protection. “I was informed that 1,600 schools were either destroyed, damaged or non-functional because of the gangs,” Frazier said, creating conditions that isolate children and significantly increase their vulnerability to recruitment, exploitation, and abuse. The military use of schools and hospitals has also surged sharply, reflecting a deteriorating protection environment.
“No child should have to grow up in such conditions,” Frazier asserted.
Hope Amidst an ‘Uninterrupted Cycle of Violence’
Frazier recounted meeting young children and adolescents who, already vulnerable within their homes, had endured an “uninterrupted cycle of violence.” Despite the harrowing testimonies, Frazier found them to be filled with hope. “They told me they want only one thing: to go to school, to play, to learn, and simply to be children again,” she shared. “Even in the darkest moments, Haitian children continue to show extraordinary resilience. They deserve more than survival – they deserve the chance to grow, to dream, and to reclaim their childhood.” She expressed being profoundly moved by the resilience and courage of Haiti’s youngest generation.
