Child Recruitment by Gangs in Haiti
Gangs in Haiti are recruiting children at unprecedented levels due to poverty, violence, and political instability. Children are forced to join gangs, with girls used as 'wives' and boys as informers or attackers. Recruitment is easy due to extreme poverty, and vigilante movements also pose a threat to children. Many children are homeless and vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, with criminal groups subjecting girls and women to horrific sexual abuse.
Key Points
- Children as young as 8 years old are being recruited by gangs in Haiti
- Poverty, violence, and political instability contribute to the increase in child recruitment
- Gangs use girls as 'wives' and boys as informers or attackers
- Vigilante movements also pose a threat to children in Haiti
- Children face physical and sexual violence and are often homeless and vulnerable