By: Staff Writer
June 24, 2025
The United Nations Security Council in its “Children and armed conflict report,” points at the Viv Ansanm coalition of gangs as being a key perpetrator of violence against children, responsible for the recruitment of 302 children in 2024 and sexual violence against children.
The report also said: “A total of 302 children (256 boys, 46 girls) were recruited and used by the Viv Ansanm coalition (64), Wharf Jérémie (39), Baz Gran Grif de Savien (31), Ti Bois (24), Bout Ba (20), Grand Ravine (20), 103-Zombies (19), unidentified armed gangs (18), Boston (16), Vitelhomme (Kraze Barye) (9), Delmas 6 (8), Team Ascenseur (6), Village de Dieu “5 Segond” (5), Kokorat San Ras (4), Simon Pelé 6 (4), Canaan (4), so-called Taliban (4), unidentified self-defence group (3), 400 Mawozo (2) and Ti Gabriel (2). Most children were used in combat roles (158).”
The US State Department in May designated Viv Ansanm and another gang, Gran Grif, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
The United Nations verified 2,269 grave violations against 1,373 children (699 girls, 618 boys, 56 unknown) and 24 grave violations that occurred in previous years in Haiti.
The number of children recruited by armed groups in Haiti increased by 70 per cent in the last year, according to the latest UNICEF estimates.
The unprecedented spike, registered between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024, points to a worsening protection crisis for children in the violence-plagued Caribbean Island. At present, up to half of all members in armed groups are children.
“Children in Haiti are trapped in a vicious cycle—recruited into the very armed groups that are fueling their desperation, and the numbers are growing,” said UNICEF Executive Director and Inter Agency Standing Committee Principal Advocate for Haiti, Catherine Russell. “This unacceptable trend must be reversed by ensuring children’s safety and welfare are prioritized by all parties.”
The rise in child recruitment by armed groups has been fueled by escalating violence, pervasive poverty, lack of education, and near collapse of critical infrastructure and social services in Haiti. Children are often coerced into joining to support their families, or under threats to their safety. Many are recruited after being separated from their caretakers, stripped of protection and survival options.
Meanwhile, children living in the increasingly diminishing number of areas outside the control of armed groups are often viewed with suspicion, and risk being branded as spies or even killed by vigilante movements. When they defect or refuse to join the violence, their lives and safety are immediately at risk.
“Children in many parts of Haiti are subjected to atrocities no child should ever have to experience, leaving them with psychological and emotional scars that might haunt them for a lifetime,” added Russell. “Chaos and horror have become part of daily life.”
The report also said: “The killing (213) and maiming (138) of 351 children (235 boys, 68 girls, 48 sex unknown) was attributed to unidentified perpetrators (70), Viv Ansanm (54), the Haitian National Police (27), Wharf Jérémie (21), Baz Gran Grif de Savien (18), Bel-Air (15), Delmas 95 (15), La Saline (12), Grand Ravine (11), Les Argentins de Haut Bel-Air (11), Village de Dieu “5 Segond” (9), Boston (9), Simon Pelé 6 (9), Chen Mechan (8), 103-Zombies (8), Solino self-defence group (7), Ti Bois (7), Vitelhomme (Kraze Barye) (6), Belekou (6), 400 Mawozo (5), Terre Noire (5) and 11 other armed gangs and self-defence groups (18). Casualties resulted mainly from attacks on communities (218).
It added: “Sexual violence against 566 children (523 girls, 43 boys) was attributed to Viv Ansanm (411), unidentified perpetrators (53), Chen Mechan (18), Village de Dieu “5 Segond” (14), Ti Gabriel (10), Grand Ravine (8), 400 Mawozo (7), Team Ascenseur (6), Canaan (6), Les Argentins de Haut Bel-Air (5), Delmas 6 (5), Ti Bois (4), Base Pilate (4), 103-Zombies (4), Wharf Jérémie (2), Simon Pelé 6 (2), Boston (2), Belekou (2) and armed gangs (3). Cases involved rape (406) and gang rape (160).
“Attacks on 154 schools (98) and hospitals (56) were attributed to Viv Ansanm (47), unidentified armed gangs (46), 400 Mawozo (12), Kraze Barye (9), Baz Gran Grif de Savien (6), Ti Bois (5), Bel-Air (4), Village de Dieu “5 Segond” (4), Kokorat San Ras (4), Grand Ravine (3), Wharf Jérémie (3), G-Pèp (2) and some seven armed gangs (8), and the Haitian National Police (1). Incidents involved the looting or destruction of facilities (88) and the killing of, attacks on or abduction of p rotected persons (66).”