Haiti’s children: Crisis demands urgent action

That was the stark message heard during a special session on Monday convened by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), where UN officials and humanitarian leaders highlighted the dire conditions in Haiti and called for immediate action to support its youngest citizens.

With 5.4 million people – half the population – facing acute food insecurity, and 700,000 displaced, urgent international intervention is needed to address a crisis compounded by armed groups violence, economic instability, and insufficient humanitarian funding.

Dire reality

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher – who took up his post two weeks ago – emphasised the devastating impact of the crisis on children: “The children of Haiti are displaced. They are malnourished. They live in fear, their neighbourhoods controlled by armed groups.”

The Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell further elaborated on the situation: “We estimate that children account for 30 to 54 per cent of armed group members while the total number of children recruited by armed groups has jumped by 70 per cent over the past year.”

She also highlighted the collapse of essential services, with 1.5 million youngsters losing access to education and healthcare facilities shutting down due to violence and insecurity.

Lifesaving but insufficient

Despite the challenges, UN agencies and partners continue to deliver aid.

Facing a surge in displacement and food insecurity, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has announced an expanded response, targeting nearly two million people with emergency relief.

The WFP’s Country Director, Wanja Kaaria, affirmed the agency’s commitment, stating: “We have been delivering record amounts of food assistance to Haitians in Port-au-Prince and across the country these past few months and will do even more in the coming weeks.”

WFP also supports local economies by sourcing 70 per cent of school meal ingredients from Haitian farmers, fostering long-term resilience and development.

Yet, the scale of the response is dwarfed by the growing needs.

A call for global solidarity

Speakers at the ECOSOC session stressed the need for immediate international action to close funding gaps, protect children from exploitation, and rebuild essential services.

UN Special Representative Maria Isabel Salvador, who also heads the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), urged the global community to address root causes of the crisis: “The challenges Haiti faces are immense, but one truth is undeniable: no progress can be made without addressing the pervasive insecurity caused by armed gangs.”

UNICEF and other humanitarian leaders called on the UN Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and Haitian authorities to prioritise child protection during operations, ensuring safe reintegration for children recruited by armed groups.