The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a distressing report revealing that more than 680,000 children in Haiti have been displaced due to a surge in gang violence, hunger, and widespread insecurity. The figure, which nearly doubles the number recorded a year ago, paints a grim picture of a nation spiralling deeper into chaos.
According to the report released on Wednesday, over six million Haitians — more than half of the population — including 3.3 million children, now require urgent humanitarian assistance. With public institutions collapsing and gang control expanding across the country, millions are left struggling to survive amid the growing crisis.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell described the situation as a “terrifying scale of suffering,” emphasizing that children are paying the highest price in the current turmoil.
“Children in Haiti are experiencing violence and displacement at a terrifying scale,” Russell said. “Each time they are forced to flee, they lose not only their homes but also their chance to go to school, and simply to be children.”
A Nation in Distress
The UN agency’s latest data underscores how deeply rooted the crisis has become. More than 1 million children are facing critical levels of food insecurity, while approximately 288,500 children under five are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition by 2025.
The displacement crisis has also reached alarming proportions, with 1.3 million people — the vast majority of them women and children — forced to abandon their homes. Out of this number, 246,000 have been displaced just this year, according to UNICEF.
Meanwhile, around 2.7 million people now live in areas controlled by armed groups, where lawlessness and violence have replaced basic governance. These gangs, often heavily armed, have taken over major towns, roads, and ports, paralyzing the nation’s already fragile economy and severely restricting access to humanitarian aid.
Collapse of Essential Services
Haiti’s security situation has deteriorated sharply over the past two years, leaving vital public services in ruins. Schools have been shut down, hospitals attacked or looted, and access to clean water and sanitation has become increasingly scarce.
In some areas, teachers and health workers have fled for safety, further depriving communities of education and healthcare. The lack of functioning hospitals means preventable diseases such as cholera and malnutrition-related illnesses are again on the rise.
For many displaced families, daily survival has become a desperate struggle. Children sleep in makeshift shelters, with little access to food, clean water, or protection from violence. UNICEF reports that humanitarian operations are being hindered by growing insecurity, with aid convoys often unable to reach communities in need.
Growing Danger for Children
Beyond hunger and displacement, children in Haiti face increasing threats of recruitment by armed groups. UNICEF has previously reported a 70 percent rise in the number of children forced to join gangs, either as fighters, couriers, or informants. Others have been subjected to sexual violence and exploitation, as gangs use fear and coercion to maintain control.
The trauma of such experiences, according to child protection experts, could leave deep and lasting scars on Haiti’s youngest generation. Many displaced children have been separated from their families, heightening their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation.
A Struggling Humanitarian Response
While the crisis worsens, humanitarian efforts remain hampered by funding shortfalls and deteriorating security. UNICEF has appealed for urgent international support to expand life-saving interventions, including access to shelter, healthcare, nutrition, education, and safe water.
However, the agency warns that its humanitarian appeal remains severely underfunded, threatening to disrupt ongoing programs that millions of vulnerable children depend on.
“Without sufficient resources, our ability to respond effectively will be gravely compromised,” UNICEF cautioned in its statement. “We are calling on the international community to stand with Haiti’s children before it’s too late.”
Global and Regional Response
In an effort to stabilize the situation, the UN Security Council last month approved a U.S.-backed plan to strengthen an international mission supporting Haitian authorities. The initiative, launched over 15 months ago, was designed to assist the local police in regaining control of areas dominated by armed gangs.
Yet, despite its approval, the mission still faces significant hurdles. It lacks the necessary funding, personnel, and equipment to deploy at full strength. This has left Haitian communities largely unprotected, with the national police overstretched and often outgunned.
Several humanitarian organizations, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have joined UNICEF in urging donor nations to scale up support for Haiti. They warn that without immediate intervention, the country could descend further into lawlessness and humanitarian catastrophe.
Human Stories Behind the Numbers
Behind the staggering figures lie heartbreaking human stories. Families are torn apart as they flee violence in their neighborhoods. Mothers search for food while protecting their children from stray bullets. Schools that once served as safe havens have been converted into shelters for the displaced.
In Port-au-Prince, the capital city, entire communities have been overrun by gangs, forcing thousands to flee on foot to nearby provinces. The journey to safety is perilous — many are caught in crossfire, while others succumb to hunger and disease along the way.
Humanitarian workers describe the situation as one of the most complex emergencies in the Western Hemisphere, worsened by years of political instability, poverty, and natural disasters.
A Plea for Global Solidarity
As the world’s attention shifts to other global crises, UNICEF is urging nations not to turn a blind eye to Haiti’s suffering. The agency warns that a generation of Haitian children risks growing up without education, protection, or hope unless decisive action is taken.
“Every child in Haiti deserves a chance to live, learn, and dream without fear,” Russell said. “The international community must not abandon them.”
UNICEF continues to coordinate with local and international partners to deliver emergency aid, despite immense logistical and security challenges. The agency emphasizes that restoring peace, rebuilding institutions, and addressing the root causes of poverty and inequality are essential to ending Haiti’s cycle of violence.
As armed groups tighten their grip and hunger deepens, Haiti stands at a dangerous crossroads. The latest UNICEF report serves as a sobering reminder that without urgent global attention, an entire generation of children could be lost to conflict and despair.
