About 41,000 people have been displaced due to escalating gang violence and insecurity in Haiti’s capital since November 11, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Save the Children estimates that around 52% of those displaced—over 21,000—are children, many of whom have been forced to move several times over the past two years.
This marks the highest wave of displacement since January 2023, based on the latest IOM figures. Many children have sought refuge in overcrowded schools turned into shelters or with host families, often lacking access to clean water, food, and healthcare.
On November 27, Save the Children called for unrestricted access for aid workers and vital supplies across Haiti, particularly in Port-au-Prince, to address hunger and severe acute malnutrition and for all parties to prioritise the protection of children.
The ongoing violence has also led to a 70% increase in the number of children recruited by gangs in the last year, according to the UN. Many of these children have been forced into gangs, while others have joined for survival.
Violence in the capital has intensified following the firing and replacement of Haiti’s interim prime minister, amid political infighting and corruption allegations against members of a transitional council set up to restore democratic order. The UN estimates that gangs now control 85% of the city, and a Kenyan-led police mission has so far failed to shift the power dynamics on the ground.
