Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Araghchi to Grossi: These parties will bear responsibility for the consequences of their actions
Araghchi to Grossi: Iran will respond to any unlawful action by European countries or parties attempting to turn the Agency into a tool for achieving their objectives
Araghchi to Grossi: We urge the Agency to warn against the consequences of any political move against Iran
Araghchi to Grossi: We call on the Agency to highlight Iran’s full cooperation during the upcoming Board of Governors meeting next week
Araghchi to Grossi: We demand that the Agency reflect the facts in a manner that prevents certain parties from exploiting it to advance their political agendas
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a phone call with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi
Trump envoy Witkoff has sent 'detailed and acceptable proposal' to Iran for nuclear deal; it's in their best interest to accept it: White House Press Secretary Leavitt
Hamas official says Witkoff's position toward group was 'unfair' and shows 'complete bias' to 'Israel'
Hamas official says it has considered Witkoff's proposal acceptable for negotiations, says 'Israel's' response was incompatible with what the group agreed on
Hamas official says group has not rejected Wikoff's proposal for Gaza ceasefire

5 children killed in Haiti every week due to continuous gang violence

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 23 Aug 2024 12:10
3 Min Read

The Bureau de Nutrition et Développement (BND) has been providing children with school lunches to keep them off the streets and prevent them from accepting lucrative offers from gangs.

Listen
  • x
  • Children play at a gym converted into a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP)
    Children play at a gym converted into a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP)

For the first six months of 2024, five children have been killed or injured each week in Haiti due to gang violence.

A review of UN data by Save the Children shows that at least 131 children have been murdered or injured so far this year, marking a 47% increase from the final six months of 2023 when 89 incidents were reported.

The majority were struck by fired bullets during shootouts between armed groups and law enforcement, or during machine gun attacks by gangs on their neighborhoods.

As a result of suspicions that they backed the police, a rival gang, or a local self-defense group, a small but increasing number of such children have been deliberately attacked. 

Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, the organization's country director for Haiti, expressed, “We are at a loss for words when it comes to the unimaginable suffering children in Haiti are enduring. Entire neighborhoods have been burned, kidnappings and sexual assaults are rampant, and children are being directly targeted or caught in the crossfire".  

Related News

Homeless children surpass 150,000 in UK in 'most acute housing crisis'

625,000 children in Gaza lost 1 year of school, 9,211 students killed

Offer of food sufficient to tempt into gangs

Haiti’s deep and rampant poverty makes it easy to convince children to take up arms or work as informants, say civil society groups. With one in two children regularly going hungry and schools often closed, the offer of regular food can be sufficient.

“There’s a lot of young boys, and a lot of girls too, that are joining the gangs for security, but also because they don’t have any opportunities,” said Emmline Toussaint, from the Bureau de Nutrition et Développement (BND).

Civil society groups believe children are easily persuaded to take up guns or operate as spies in Haiti due to the country's extreme and pervasive poverty. 

In an effort to keep kids in school and off the streets, where they are more likely to be recruited to take up arms, BND provides school lunches.

“We still have serious concerns about the integration of child protection measures by the Multinational Security Support Mission. With armed groups in Haiti actively recruiting children, their safety cannot be an afterthought,” Imbeault noted.

The situation in Haiti plummeted starting late February as powerful and well-armed groups took control of most of the capital Port-au-Prince and much of the country, saying they aimed at toppling Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry – who resigned in June.

Garry Conille, Haiti's ex-prime minister from 2011 to 2012, was then named the new prime minister by Haiti's transitional government council.

  • children
  • Haiti
  • Ariel Henry
  • gang violence

Most Read

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS