Every minute, a child is forced to flee in Haiti. So far, more than 600,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to the unrest in the country. More than half are children, according to a new report from Unicef.
When children and teenagers are forced to move – often without their families – they risk dropping out of school and becoming vulnerable to sexual abuse, exploitation, and violence. Moreover, an increasing number of young people are joining armed groups.
It is primarily from the capital Port-au-Prince that people have been forced to flee, as large parts of the city are controlled by gangs.
The number of children who are internally displaced in Haiti has increased by up to 60 percent since March, a result of the ongoing violence from armed groups, the report notes. This means that, on average, a child is forced to flee every minute in the country, according to Unicef.
Haiti has long been plagued by gang violence, but the situation worsened significantly at the end of February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince aimed at overthrowing the then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
A Kenyan police force arrived in Haiti last month to lead an international effort aimed at curbing the widespread gang violence in Haiti.
