Haiti’s escalating crisis has left millions of children without access to education. In the ever-worsening violence plaguing the nation, armed gangs are destroying schools, once a safe haven for children dreaming of a better future.
By Francesca Merlo
Five and a half million people in Haiti are in need of aid, and the crisis is only getting worse. As always, it is the children who are paying the highest price. As violence escalates, schools are being reduced to rubble. Once a safe haven for families who had lost everything, schools were previously sanctuaries where children could thrive under the protection of education. Now, their future is uncertain.
Education as a lifeline
In January alone, armed groups completely destroyed 47 schools in the capital, Port-au-Prince. In 2024, 284 schools were targeted, leaving hundreds of thousands of children with no place to learn. For many Haitian families, education is a lifeline – an escape from poverty. Schools become second homes, providing a meal and a safe refuge from the violence surrounding them. Unfortunately, as the situation deteriorates, the hope that schools once offered is slipping away.
A deteriorating situation
Haiti has been facing hardship for many years, but the crisis deepened following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Political instability, escalating gang violence, and economic hardship have since spiraled out of control. Armed groups now control large parts of the country, including Port-au-Prince. Schools, healthcare facilities, and other critical infrastructure have been targeted, worsening the suffering of the population.
The latest attack occurred on Wednesday. Video footage captured the terrifying scene of children paralysed with fear, lying motionless as armed groups stormed the school. Unfortunately, this violence extends far beyond the classroom walls, leaving indelible scars on the victims.
The risk of recruitment
In a statement released on 28 February, Geetanjali Narayan, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, stressed the devastating impact of the ongoing violence on the country’s education system, warning that “education – a last hope for many children and a top priority for parents – has never been more at risk.” According to UNICEF, one in seven children in Haiti is now out of school, with nearly a million more at risk of dropping out. The consequences are dire, as last year saw a 70% increase in the recruitment of children into armed groups. The majority of these groups are nearly half composed of children, some as young as eight years old.
Haitian parents often sacrifice a significant portion of their income to ensure their children receive an education. However, many now face unprecedented economic hardship, and those who can still afford to send their children to school are finding there are none left to attend.
Building safe spaces
UNICEF, along with other partners, is working to rehabilitate damaged schools, create temporary learning spaces, and reintegrate displaced children into education. Catch-up classes are being organised to compensate for lost time, and families are receiving school kits and financial assistance to ease the burden of education costs. Mental health and psychosocial support services are also being offered to help children and families cope with the trauma they have endured.
However, humanitarian efforts remain underfunded, and more support is urgently needed to reach the peace and stability Haiti so desperately needs and deserves. The call is for children to not become the forgotten victims of this crisis.
As the world watches, the hope remains that these children will be given the chance to learn, to dream, and to build a better future.
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