Child recruitment in Haiti surges threefold in just one year: UNICEF

The recruitment of children by armed groups in Haiti tripled last year as poverty and violence deepens across the country, according to a new UNICEF report released Thursday.

“The extent of the increase definitely is a surprise,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti. “That’s devastating.”

The United Nations estimates that 30% to 50% of members of armed groups are children, with some as young as 9 years old being recruited, she said in a phone interview.