What is going on in Haiti? Anyone hoping to follow its political twists and turns from abroad may be forgiven for feeling confused: the politics of the Caribbean republic of more than ten million-the western hemisphere’s poorest nation, and the only one in the Americas patrolled by U.N. UNICEF also calls on the Government of Haiti to ensure schools are safe and to hold accountable groups and individuals who harm or threaten children in school.Jocelerme Privert has been appointed the interim President of Haiti, but an official successor to outgoing President Michel Martelly has yet to be appointed, and the country’s future is as uncertain as ever. UNICEF urges all actors to refrain from any action that jeopardizes children’s right to an education. We must act urgently to protect children’s lives and futures."ĭespite escalating violence and insecurity in the country, the Haitian Ministry of Education has stepped up its efforts to open schools, with 3 in 4 schools reopening by December 2022, compared to less than 1 in 10 in October. A child who is scared to go to school is a child more at risk of being recruited by armed groups. “Violence continues to take a heavy toll on children’s lives in and around Port-au-Prince, and schools are no longer spared. ![]() "As children reel from the effects of armed violence, insecurity in Haiti shows no sign of abating,” said Maes. On 26 January, for example, children were forced to evacuate schools as violent street protests over the killing of 14 police personnel spread throughout the country. In addition to armed violence, social unrest has also impacted children’s ability to learn in school. ![]() Without urgent action to protect schools from violence, UNICEF predicts that students will lose an estimated 36 days of school by the end of June. As a result, in January 2023, children lost an average of one and a half school days per week. With social unrest rising these recent weeks, many school principals have taken the decision to close schools to protect children from potential attacks. ![]() Bags of rice, dough, and maize used for school meals – a lifeline for countless children in Haiti – have also been stolen, together with canteen equipment. When groups target schools, they frequently loot school equipment, including desks, benches, boards, laptops, photocopiers, batteries, and solar panels. The targeting of schools by armed groups is having an enormous impact on children’s safety, well-being and ability to learn.”Īccording to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 60 per cent of Port-au-Prince is controlled by armed groups. “In certain urban areas of the country, armed groups consider looting schools as a lucrative alternative to other forms of extortion and crime. "In Haiti, schools have always been considered and respected as safe havens, but in the past few months they have become targets for violence,” said UNICEF Representative in Haiti Bruno Maes. In the first six days of February alone, 30 schools were shuttered as a result of escalating violence in urban areas, while over 1 in 4 schools has remained closed since October last year. This includes at least 13 schools targeted by armed groups, one school set on fire, one student killed, and at least two staff members kidnapped, according to reports by UNICEF partners. In the first four months of the academic year (October – February), 72 schools were reportedly targeted compared to eight during the same period last year. ![]() PORT-AU-PRINCE/PANAMA CITY/NEW YORK, 9 FEBRUARY 2023 – Acts of armed violence against schools in Haiti, including shooting, ransacking, looting and kidnappings have increased nine-fold in one year, as rising insecurity and widespread unrest begin to cripple the country’s education system, UNICEF warned today.
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