A report by Human Rights Watch had issued a warning on Wednesday, saying that Haiti’s armed gangs were increasingly recruiting children into their ranks. This is as near-famine conditions have compelled boys to pick up ammunition leaving the girls to be sexually abused and forced into domestic work.
The group —an advocate for human rights globally– had said it had recently spoken to six children involved with gangs, and all of them had said they wanted to leave and had only joined because they were starving and these gangs were often the only source of food, shelter or money.
The young boys work as informants, trained to use weapons and ammunition, and are also deployed in conflicts against the police, HRW claimed, adding that girls were often raped and forced to cook and clean for gang members, and often discarded once they become pregnant.
Haiti’s influential gangs have been growing their influence over the recent years while state institutions remain crippled by a lack of funds and political crises. These gangs are now reported to control territory where 2.7 million people live, including half a million children.
“As their influence increase, the gangs have ramped up child recruitment using popular social media apps to attract recruits.” said HRW.
The U.N. has approved Haiti’s request for a security mission to help the Caribbean country’s police fight the gangs a year ago, but so far, the mission has only partially deployed.
HRW urged Haiti’s government and other countries to provide more resources for security forces, ensure children are able to eat and go to school, and provide rehabilitation for recruits.
