UNITED NATIONS, (CMC) – The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Wednesday said that armed violence and growing insecurity continue to expose children to sexual violence and other severe protection risks in Haiti.

“And as you can imagine, displaced boys and girls are especially vulnerable in this current environment in Haiti,” said Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

He told the daily UN briefing that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than half of all internally displaced people in Haiti are children.

“One in eight children in Haiti is displaced. That is exposing them to exploitation, it is exposing them to abuse, and it is exposing them to potential recruitment into armed gangs. As we have mentioned in the past, our colleagues estimate that about half of all gang members are children,” he added.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has documented a staggering 1,000 per cent rise in sexual violence against children between 2023 and 2024.

In a statement released today, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, expressed her deep distress at the shocking death of a six-year-old girl after she was brutally raped in a displacement site in Cité Soleil, in Port-au-Prince.

“This happened at the beginning of the month, and Richardson said it is a stark reminder of the extreme dangers faced by children living in highly precarious conditions. No child should ever endure such violence,” said Dujarric, adding “our humanitarian partners have intensified efforts to support survivors of sexual violence across impacted regions”.

He said between January and March of this year, more than 6,200 people, including many women and girls, received psychosocial support. Mobile health clinics reached more than 670 people. Our partners also distributed over 745 dignity kits.

“Our partners are implementing legal, medical and socio-economic reintegration services for sexual violence survivors in the areas in Haiti of Ouest, Artibonite, Nord-Est, and Grande’Anse departments.”

Dujarric said immediate priorities include expanding access to protection and psychosocial support for survivors, increasing safety in displacement sites, creating a safe space for women and girls, and enhancing prevention, case management, and reporting mechanisms for gender-based violence.

He said severe underfunding continues to hamper response efforts. Less than US$$600,000, which is just five per cent of the more than US$11 million required to support gender-based violence survivors, has been received to date, limiting “the capacity of our humanitarian partners to sustain and expand vital services, especially in high-risk areas of the country.

“OCHA continues to work closely with national authorities, UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to support efforts to protect children across Haiti and to ensure that, even in the most difficult circumstances, the right to safety, the right to dignity remains at the centre of our humanitarian response,” Dujarric said.