Childhood hunger: one in four children in Haiti is malnourished

More than 3 million children from Haiti will need humanitarian aid in 2024: every fourth child in the Caribbean state suffers from malnutrition, UNICEF (UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund) told Izvestia. The Russian embassy in Venezuela, which also performs diplomatic functions in Haiti, also said that what is happening in the country is alarming. Minors suffer the most from the political crisis in the country and the surge of aggression by criminal gangs. They are often recruited by gang members and sexually abused. Why some of them deliberately join criminals and how far the Haitian authorities are from resolving the political crisis - in the exclusive material of "Izvestia".

Children are the main victims of instability in Haiti

After several thousand prisoners escaped from Haiti's prisons in late February 2024 and aimed to oust then acting President Ariel Henri, political instability in the country has been on the rise. Criminal groups still control 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince, as well as some other regions of the country, which covers an area of 27,700 square kilometers. Children and adolescents are the main victims of political instability.

- The escalation of armed groups has led to an increase in violence, putting children at risk of physical and psychological trauma. Many are caught in the crossfire or directly targeted. Many of them experience anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects their overall well-being and development," UNICEF told Izvestia.

Since January 2024, more than 3,600 Haitians have died at the hands of criminal gangs. As of August this year, the number of dead children of different ages was as high as 131. Every week, at least five children are killed by violence, Save the Children reported in its August report.

The instability has forced more than 365,000 children to flee their homes, UNICEF said. 300,000 of them have been unable to continue their education because of it. Many schools and universities in Haiti are not working: some of them serve as shelters for civilians, while others are occupied as operation centers of the groups. It is also significant that many teachers have also left the country.

The health situation remains difficult. Almost half of the hospitals in the country are closed. Those that remain open face shortages of staff, medicines and medical supplies. About 3 million children have sought humanitarian assistance this year; if we add adults, the number rises to 5.5 million.

- Nearly half of the population faces acute food insecurity and rising levels of malnutrition. Nearly one in four children in Haiti is chronically malnourished, and the resurgence of diseases such as cholera is exacerbating their vulnerability, UNICEF says.

Because of the lack of prospects in Haiti, many children and adolescents willingly or forcibly become part of criminal gangs. For some minors, working with gangs is the only way to survive and save their families.

- Armed groups are increasingly recruiting children, forcing them into roles ranging from combatants to informants and cooks. Children are also subjected to sexual violence," UNICEF commented.

Although most Haitians cannot afford to leave the country, those who already have relatives abroad, particularly in the United States, are making attempts to reunite with them. The states have a special program for citizens from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua, under which they can obtain temporary residency if they have a relative in the United States. However, this October, the Joe Biden administration decided not to renew the program. Thus, anyone who cannot find a way to change visa types will have to leave the country. With Donald Trump in the White House, the situation for Third World migrants may become even more difficult.

- Many of the deported children and families arrive in extremely vulnerable conditions, often without resources, official documents, or access to basic services. In some cases, children have little or no family support in Haiti and are left to fend for themselves," UNICEF states.

Haiti is far from resolving its political crisis

Haiti has not had a president since 2021, when the legitimate leader Jovenel Moise was assassinated. His post was temporarily occupied by Ariel Henri, who was the one whom members of criminal gangs who escaped from prison demanded to be removed in late February. As a result, he himself withdrew from the powers of the proxy president, and power in the country passed to the transitional council. Its job is to prepare the country for the 2026 presidential election. This is difficult given that much of Haiti is controlled by gangs, who in turn also insist on their right to participate in the political process.

The latest spike in political instability came in early November, when Jimmy Cherizier, nicknamed Barbecue, leader of the Vivre ensemble alliance, warned citizens to stay in their homes if possible, promising a new wave of violence against another change in the interim prime minister, the third since the council was established.

- Of course, we are closely monitoring everything related to this country, including the recent upsurge in the internal political crisis," the Russian embassy in Venezuela, which also performs diplomatic functions in the Caribbean nation, assessed the situation in Haiti. - The security situation in Haiti, especially in recent years, has tended to deteriorate. The current squabbling in the interim authorities, as well as statements of criminal groups, cannot but cause concern about the prospects of aggravation of the already difficult situation in the republic.

At the end of September this year, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the multinational mission led by Kenya to maintain security in Haiti for another year. According to the plans of the international organization, about 3 thousand soldiers from 10 countries were to arrive in Haiti. In fact, only 400 police officers from Kenya, 24 from Jamaica, two from Belize and six from the Bahamas arrived. Thus, the number of members of the group is at least six times the number of law enforcement officers.

Haiti is far from resolving the political crisis, explains to Izvestia Robert Futton, a native of the country and professor at the University of Virginia. The security situation is much more serious now than it was when the Presidential Transitional Council was established in April 2024, the expert says. According to him, police officers from Haiti and Kenya are not able to cope with the pressure of the groups.

- The Kenyan mission is underfunded and much smaller than anticipated. The Haitian police and the Kenyan contingent have had problems coordinating and confronting the gangs. And the gangs seem to be growing more powerful. The immediate future is not bright. In addition, the transitional presidential council is besieged by internal conflicts and accusations of corruption," the expert emphasizes.

Provision of humanitarian needs of Haiti's inhabitants largely depends on air communication, as armed groups control all three national highways. At the same time, air communication is currently difficult. In early November, the capital's airport closed after gang members opened fire on a commercial airplane belonging to an American airline.

The recent closure of the Port-au-Prince airport due to the heightened security situation has become a major impediment to humanitarian operations as it affects staff mobility, supplies and overall humanitarian access across the country, UNICEF summarized.