Over half a million children have been displaced in Haiti this year due to violence

Armed gangs have expanded their control across large parts of Haiti, overwhelming local police forces

People look out at a street in the Simon-Pele neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All right reserved)

A staggering 680,000 children have been displaced in Haiti due to escalating violence, a figure almost double that of a year ago, UNICEF revealed on Wednesday. The UN agency estimates that over six million people – more than half of the nation's population, including 3.3 million children – are now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

This dramatic surge in displacement, coupled with the collapse of public services, worsening health and education provisions, and rampant gang activity, highlights the escalating dangers faced by millions of Haitians, particularly its youngest citizens.

"Children in Haiti are experiencing violence and displacement at a terrifying scale," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Each time they are forced to flee, they lose not only their homes but also their chance to go to school, and simply to be children."

According to UNICEF, more than 1 million children face critical levels of food insecurity. Around 288,500 children under age 5 are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025. Some 2.7 million people are living in areas controlled by armed groups, while internal displacement has climbed to 246,000 so far this year.

More than 1.3 million people have been forced from their homes, with children increasingly bearing the brunt of the crisis, the agency warned.

Haiti Security (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All right reserved)

Armed gangs have expanded their control across large parts of Haiti, overwhelming local police forces and pushing humanitarian groups to scale back operations.

Last month, the UN Security Council approved a U.S.-backed plan to expand an international security mission deployed to support Haitian authorities. The force, launched more than 15 months ago, remains short on funding, personnel and equipment.

UNICEF is urging immediate international funding to expand life-saving aid, including shelter, healthcare, education and clean water. Its appeal remains severely underfunded, threatening critical programs for Haiti's children.