UNICEF: Child recruitment by armed groups in Haiti surges 200%

The number of children recruited and used by armed groups in Haiti has surged by an estimated 200 per cent in 2025, highlighting a growing reliance on the exploitation of minors amid ongoing violence, the UNICEF said.

UNICEF said the situation for children in the country remains critical, with more than 1.4 million people internally displaced — over half of them children — facing overlapping crises including armed violence, natural disasters and extreme poverty. These conditions have fueled the expansion of armed groups and increased forced recruitment of children.

“Children’s rights are non-negotiable,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Every child must be protected. And every child recruited or used by armed groups must be released and supported so they can heal, return to learning, and rebuild their future.”

UNICEF noted that recruitment and use of children by armed groups is a grave violation of their rights and a breach of international law. Children recruited into armed groups face heightened risks of injury or death in combat, sexual and physical abuse, psychological trauma, arbitrary detention and loss of access to education.

Many children in Haiti are forced to join armed groups to help support their families or after receiving threats to themselves or loved ones. Others are recruited after being separated from their families and turn to armed groups for survival or protection.

Since the signing of the Handover Protocol in January 2024, UNICEF and child protection partners have verified and supported more than 500 children associated with armed groups through specialized protection and reintegration services across the country.

Working alongside Haitian government ministries and civil society groups, UNICEF said it is providing psychosocial support, education assistance, family tracing and reunification services, and reintegration support through initiatives such as the PREJEUNES programme, which aims to help at-risk youth avoid recruitment and assist those leaving armed groups.

UNICEF is urging national authorities and international partners to strengthen child protection systems, expand access to essential services and support underfunded programmes assisting children and families affected by violence.

“Children associated with armed groups must not be treated as perpetrators,” Russell said. “They must receive appropriate reintegration services and be protected from additional risks, stigma, or retaliation.”