Haiti: Children's situation Described as Catastrophic

The Zanmi Timoun Foundation on Sunday described the situation of children in Haiti, directly affected by the economic, political and social crisis, as catastrophic.

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The director of programs of the aforementioned entity, Manoach Presna lamented the panorama experienced by this segment of society, in the midst of an increase in food and health problems.

In 2023, 207,000 children were counted living in Haiti in domestic servitude, another 113,000 were displaced due to gang violence, and 500 were repatriated unaccompanied at the Haitian-Dominican border, the Haiti Libre newspaper reported.

Children have been raped, kidnapped or killed during repeated attacks by armed gangs in various parts of the country, and access to hospitals is very difficult for them, Presna lamented.

For its part, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) called for priority to be given to the safety of children in Haiti, where violence continues to be a constant.

"We urge all stakeholders to ensure the protection of children, whatever their situation. Protecting children must be the priority," stresses a recently released statement from the international body here.

Take all necessary measures to prevent them from being exposed to violent events that could endanger their safety and their lives, the text emphasizes.

UNICEF is closely monitoring the situation and is doing everything necessary to ensure the continuity of prevention and care services at all levels.

Haiti has long been in political turmoil mixed with poverty, health, social and institutional crises, rising malnutrition rates, disasters and armed violence that left more than three million children in need of humanitarian aid, the agency recalls.

The longer this situation persists - UNICEF warns - the greater the risk of irreversible physical and mental damage to children's well-being.