Child recruitment in Haiti surges threefold in just one year – UNICEF

The number of children in Haiti recruited and used by armed groups has skyrocketed by an estimated 200 per cent in 2025 reflecting a growing reliance on the exploitation of children, amid ongoing violence by armed groups, UNICEF said today, commemorating Red Hand Day.

The situation for children in Haiti remains critical. More than 1.4 million people are internally displaced, over half of them children facing overlapping crises, including armed violence, natural disasters, and extreme poverty. These conditions have fueled the growth of armed groups, increasingly forcing children into recruitment.

“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.”

Recruitment and use of children by armed groups constitutes a grave violation of their rights, and enlisting children of any age into armed groups is a breach of international law. Recruitment into armed groups exposes children to multiple risks, including injury, maiming, or death in combat, sexual, psychological, and physical abuse, and arbitrary detention, while also disrupting their access to education, thereby undermining their safety, well-being, and overall development.

Children in Haiti are often forced to join armed groups to support their families or after receiving direct threats to themselves or loved ones, while others are recruited after being separated from their families, turning to armed groups as a means of survival and protection.

Since the signing of the Handover Protocol in January of 2024, UNICEF and child protection actors, were able to verify and support more than 500 children associated with armed groups with specialized protection and reintegration services across Haiti.

Meanwhile, UNICEF calls on donor governments, the private sector, and others to support critical support programmes for children and families affected by violence, which remain significantly underfunded.