That was the clear message heard during Monday’s special session convened by the Council. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), where United Nations officials and humanitarian leaders highlighted the dire situation in Haiti and called for immediate action to support the country’s youngest citizens.
With 5.4 million people – half the population – facing severe food insecurityand 700,000 displaced people, urgent international intervention is needed to resolve the crisis caused by violence by armed groups, economic instability and lack of humanitarian funding.
Cruel reality
UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher – who took up the post two weeks ago – emphasized the devastating impact of the crisis on children: “Haiti children are displaced. The children are malnourished. They live in fear, their neighborhoods are controlled by armed groups. ”
Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Catherine Russell explains the situation further: “We estimate that children make up between 30 and 54% of armed group members while the total Children are recruited by armed groups has increased 70% in the past year.”
She also highlighted the collapse of essential services, with 1.5 million young people losing access to education and healthcare facilities closed due to violence and insecurity.
Saves lives but not enough
Despite the challenges, UN agencies and partners continue to provide aid.
Faced with increasing displacement and food insecurity, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) announced an expanded response, targeting nearly two million people with emergency relief.
WFP Country Director Wanja Kaaria affirmed the agency’s commitment, stating: “We have provided record amounts of food assistance to Haitians in Port-au-Prince and across the country in several last month and will do more in the coming weeks.”
WFP also supports local economies by sourcing 70% of school meal ingredients from Haitian farmers, promoting resilience and long-term development.
However, the scale of the response is shrinking by growing demand.
A call for global solidarity
Speakers at the ECOSOC session emphasized the need for immediate international action to close the financing gap, protect children from exploitation and rebuild essential services.
United Nations Special Representative Maria Isabel Salvador, who also heads the United Nations General Office in Haiti (BINUH), calls on the global community to address the root causes of the crisis: “The challenges facing Haiti are enormous, but there is one undeniable truth: no progress can be made if the widespread unrest caused by armed gangs is not addressed.”
UNICEF and other humanitarian leaders called on the United Nations Security Councilsupported by the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and Haitian authorities prioritize child protection in operations, ensuring the safe reintegration of children recruited by armed groups.
