Half of Haiti’s Gangs Made Up of Children

According to CNN, children now make up about 50% of Haiti’s armed gangs, with at least 302 minors recruited and used in 2024 alone, most in combat roles. The report comes as a new UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force (GSF), expected to deploy up to 5,500 personnel, begins arriving in the country to support Haitian police.

UNICEF says gang recruitment of children has surged by 200% in 2025, driven by poverty, homelessness and aggressive social media campaigns that glamorize gang life. Some children are lured with promises of food, shelter and cash payments, while others are forced to join or handed over by desperate families. UN findings show payments can range from $100 to $700 depending on the task.

Humanitarian groups warn that as security operations expand, child soldiers could be pushed to the frontlines. Rights experts have also raised concerns about how detained children will be treated, noting that dozens accused of gang ties have been killed since 2022.

UNICEF is urging authorities to follow a UN-backed “handover protocol” to ensure children are transferred to welfare agencies instead of being treated as combatants. The agency says its reintegration program has already helped more than 500 former child recruits return to civilian life.