A United Nations report released Friday details the escalating exploitation of children by criminal gangs in Haiti, who are using threats and incentives to recruit them into activities ranging from intelligence gathering to sexual slavery. The report, jointly issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), reveals a disturbing trend of increasing child recruitment, with estimates suggesting children now comprise between 30 to 50 percent of gang membership.
The findings come as Haiti grapples with a multifaceted crisis, including widespread violence, political instability, and a near-total breakdown of state authority. According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, violence has intensified and expanded geographically, exacerbating food insecurity and instability as transitional governance arrangements near expiry and overdue elections remain unresolved. The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet this week to discuss the situation.
The report details how gangs operating in and around Port-au-Prince, where an estimated 500,000 children reside in areas under their control, are deploying boys as lookouts to monitor police movements, forcing them to transport weapons and ammunition, and compelling them to participate in extortion and kidnappings. Some boys are subjected to violent initiation rites, including beatings and forced participation in killings and rapes, designed to sever ties with their families and communities. Girls as young as 12 are facing sexual exploitation and sexual slavery, including coerced “relationships” with gang members, alongside forced domestic labor and roles in intelligence gathering and criminal operations.
Children attempting to escape gang control, or their families, face the threat of violent retaliation, the report states. This exploitation is occurring against a backdrop of limited social protection programs and the closure of schools in many gang-controlled areas, leaving children particularly vulnerable.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported a tripling of child recruitment in Haiti during 2025. These findings align with documentation from Human Rights Watch, which has highlighted the serious abuses against children perpetrated by criminal groups and the Haitian authorities’ failure to prioritize child protection and rehabilitation.
BINUH reported in January that during the fourth quarter of 2025 alone, at least 1,523 people were killed and 806 others injured in Haiti. The escalating violence has displaced more than one in ten Haitians from their homes, raising the risk of prolonged instability and potentially heightening pressures on neighboring countries.
The report calls for Haitian transitional authorities to strengthen social protection programs for vulnerable families, ensure schools can function as safe spaces, expand access to psychosocial care, and develop community-based reintegration programs for children who have experienced abuse. Without immediate action, the report warns, criminal groups will continue to profit from the exploitation of children.
The UN’s political mission in Haiti, BINUH, provides human rights monitoring and electoral assistance, and supports police development. However, the report does not detail any immediate plans for expanded intervention beyond these existing support structures. The mandate of the Transitional Presidential Council ended on February 7, 2026, and BINUH has encouraged all stakeholders to operate towards a stable path forward.
