Haiti: Nearly three million children are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the highest number ever recorded

Nearly 3 million children, the highest number ever recorded, need humanitarian aid in Haiti. Children are experiencing alarming levels of violence, exacerbated by hunger and malnutrition, in a country already mired in poverty and in the midst of a new outbreak of cholera.

said Bruno Maes, representative of the organization UNICEF in Haiti.

Children find themselves in the crosshairs or the direct targets of attacks as armed groups terrorize the population in their struggle for territory and control, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and increasingly in neighboring Artibonite.

In addition, women and girls suffer severe sexual violence and kidnappings of students, teachers and health workers have multiplied, as well as attacks on schools. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the violence.

Hunger, insecurity, disease and lack of basic services

Hunger and malnutrition have reached unprecedented levels across the country with life-threatening effects, particularly in the capital’s poorest, most insecure and crowded neighborhoods, where some families are virtually trapped without access to basic services.

The number of malnourished children at risk of death They are up 30% since last year, and almost one in four children across the country suffer from chronic malnutrition.

To make matters worse, children fall into the hands of armed groups due to violence, poverty and desperation. Many children and young people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area say they were forced into conscription in exchange for protection or food and income for their families. Some say the armed groups give them a sense of identity and belonging.

In addition to violence, hunger, and disease, children face the constant threat of severe storms and earthquakes.

In early June, heavy rains, which coincided with the onset of the hurricane season, caused devastating floods, which in many cases were fatal. A few days later, an earthquake was recorded in Grand Anse, an area still marked by the 2021 earthquake.

The international community cannot turn its back on Haiti

In Haiti, provision of basic services and development of human capital has been inadequate for several decades, a problem exacerbated by extreme inequality, marginalization and social exclusion. It is the poorest and least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and She is not ready to face the multiple upheavals she faces.

Nearly 3 million children need assistance in Haiti this year, the highest number on record. But funding falls far short of humanitarian needs. Of the $246 million in funding UNICEF needs for Haiti in 2023, less than 15% has been received.

Despite the funding shortfall, UNICEF continues to expand its operations and presence on the ground. The agency provided vaccines and therapeutic food, provided clean water and sanitation, and allowed children to continue attending school.

“Despite the enormous challenges, humanitarian aid has contributed to averting famine and malnutrition of a catastrophic nature. But more is needed. The international community cannot turn its back on Haitian children at a time when their support is most needed.” Mace stated.