Child Recruitment by Gangs Triples in One Year, UNICEF Warns
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
According to UNICEF, the number of children recruited and used by armed groups in Haiti increased by 200% in 2025, three times more than in 2024. This alarming trend directly threatens the safety of young people and complicates the return to stability in the country.
While UNICEF had mentioned in 2024 that gangs are half-composed of children, the phenomenon is taking on alarming proportions in 2025. Used as lookouts, hostage guards, or even sent to the front lines during clashes, thousands of minors are exposed to extreme violence.
Information on the increase was relayed in a note published on February 12, 2026, on the UNICEF website, on the occasion of Red Hand Day. This date raises awareness against the enrollment and use of children by armed actors.
UNICEF emphasizes that this practice constitutes a serious violation of international law and permanently compromises the health, education, and future of these children.
In a context marked by insecurity and massive population displacements — with over 1.4 million people currently displaced within the country, a majority of whom are children — the vulnerability of the youngest continues to worsen. Many are forced to join armed groups to survive; others are pushed into it under threat or after being separated from their families.
“Children’s rights are non-negotiable,” recalled UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, calling for the release and care of all minors associated with armed groups. Since January 2024, over 500 children have already been identified and referred to protection and reintegration programs, in collaboration with Haitian institutions and humanitarian partners.
But the UN agency warns: without a rapid strengthening of child protection mechanisms and increased financial support for prevention and reintegration programs, the recruitment spiral risks continuing. On this Red Hand Day, UNICEF is launching a new call to action to prevent an entire generation from being sacrificed to violence.
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