Guns, fashionable clothes and death threats: how gangs in Haiti entrap children
Joseph is one of a growing number of children joining gangs in Haiti, a Caribbean island nation facing overlapping security, humanitarian and governance crises.
About 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to gang violence and thousands more have died.
Robust protections for children in gang-affected communities are highlighted in a new report released by the UN in Haiti.
Read Joseph’s account of gang life:
“I grew up in a poor neighborhood where gangs controlled everything. I saw armed men on the streets all the time. Some were well dressed, had nice cars and were surrounded by women. They were the ones who set the rules in our neighborhood.
For us kids, it was normal. We didn’t have many opportunities to exercise or have fun, and there really was no hope for the future.
A young boy in Haiti joins a UN-backed program to prevent recruitment into gangs.
One day, in late August 2024, I was hanging out with a friend and he told me he was part of a gang. He talked to me about all the positive things the gang gave him, like money and a feeling of being important. He told me to join them too. I was hesitant because I knew it was dangerous, but I decided to give it a try.
Attacking the police
Shortly after I joined, a gang member gave me a radio and asked me to keep an eye on the police and inform the gang of their movements. Then the gang leader gave me a gun.
There were rumors of a major police operation and I was told I would have to fight the police. I was scared because I didn’t want to be killed. I told the gang leader I wanted to go home. He got very angry and hit me with the gun. He hit me repeatedly until he broke my hand. He told me that if I tried to leave, he would kill me.
Although I was very afraid to confront the police, I managed to escape shortly afterwards. Someone close to me told me about an organization that could help me get medical care and support. I contacted them in September 2024 and since then they have been helping me with advice and support in processing everything I have been through.”
