Haiti’s powerful gangs nearly tripled their recruitment of children in 2025. This year, a new UN-backed security force has begun deploying – but for the thousands of children already caught up in armed groups, the path back to a stable future remains uncertain.
As a new multinational gang suppression force (GSF), begins its deployment in Haiti, attention is slowly turning to the thousands of children who have been recruited or trafficked into the country's armed gangs. Of the approximately 10,000 to 20,000 gang members, international organisations estimate that between 30 and 50 percent are minors, though experts say the figure is difficult to verify. In 2025 alone, the recruitment and use of children by gangs nearly tripled, according to a UN report.
