CHILDREN TRAFFICKED BY GANGS IN HAITI: RETHINKING THE RESPONSES

This joint report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) examines the trafficking and exploitation of children by gangs in Haiti. It highlights how poverty, displacement, social exclusion and limited access to education increase children’s vulnerability, particularly among children living on the streets, in displacement sites or in highly marginalised communities.

The report documents how gangs recruit children through threats and violence, but also through offers of money, material support, protection, social belonging or drugs. Children may then be exploited in a range of activities and exposed to serious violence, including sexual violence and involvement in criminal activities. The report emphasises that these children should be treated first and foremost as victims of trafficking and exploitation, rather than simply as offenders.

The report calls for a comprehensive, human rights-based response structured around seven pillars. This includes greater attention to prevention and the underlying social, economic and educational factors that increase vulnerability, alongside protection, support and accountability for those responsible for trafficking and exploiting children.