Fear and hunger: Children in Haiti are suffering

People flee gang violence in the Pétion-Ville neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.

 

The escalating gang-related violence in Haiti has forced more than 360,000 families to flee their homes to seek safety and protect their children. 

 

Many families have chosen to leave the capital, Port-au-Prince. Those with no other places to go live in schools and government buildings that have been turned into camps.  

 

Those fleeing abandon their means of livelihood, putting them and their families in even more precarious circumstances. It is reported that nearly half the population – some 5 million people - face acute food insecurity in Haiti.  

 

At SOS Children’s Villages in Port-au-Prince, staff and caregivers do their best to maintain a sense of normalcy for the 66 children in their care. Activities and remote learning are taking place as usual. 

 

"All children under our care are safe," says Ms. Faimy Loiseau, National Director of SOS Children's Villages Haiti. "They don't go out as schools are still not open. We continue to monitor the situation.  

 

"The children and staff in our family-like care program have enough supplies for a month, and there are emergency supplies in case things get worse. They continue to go to school remotely," adds Ms. Loiseau.

  

Support for families in the community

 

SOS Children’s Villages is supporting families in the community through the crisis.  

 

“Through our family strengthening program, we are working on ways to support families the best that we can as their situation has worsened due to the security difficulties,” says Ms. Loiseau.  

 

Children from local communities who attend the SOS Children's Villages school also participate in remote learning. For families in the city without internet access or smartphones, teachers provide printed homework for parents to collect outside the school.  

  

Gangs recruit children

 

The recruitment of children into gangs is a critical concern, according to a new UN report. Children are used as lookouts, and those who want to leave the gangs fear retaliation. Some children who tried to leave have been killed.  

 

"We hope and pray that the situation will get better soon because too many children are suffering mentally and physically,” says Ms. Loiseau.   

 

“It is important to remember that the children of today will be the adults of tomorrow, so it has to be our priority to lessen the level of trauma that will have a direct impact on Haiti's future."