Attachments
The situation of children in Haiti is alarming. In the context of the widespread security crisis, children are increasingly exposed to serious violations of their fundamental rights. A disconcerting phenomenon threatens the future of our nation: the use of children by armed groups. These unacceptable practices deprive children of their innocence, expose them to unprecedented violence, and irreparably compromise their future.
On World Children's Day, CRECH and World Vision are sounding the alarm. We launch an urgent call to all stakeholders to make child protection a national priority.
We denounce in the strongest possible terms any exploitation of children for criminal purposes. These acts, which turn children into instruments of war, violate the fundamental principles of human rights, national laws and international conventions to which Haiti has subscribed. Children are neither human shields, nor messengers for armed causes, nor participants in conflicts that do not belong to them.
Children used in conflicts suffer not only physical and psychological violence but also brutal punishments that scar their bodies and minds irreversibly, even to the point of death.
These organizations, committed to the education, protection, and development of children, remind the Haitian state of its legal and moral obligation to protect children, particularly in these times of crisis. Children, as a vulnerable group, must be protected against all odds under the Haitian Constitution and the international conventions ratified by Haiti.
It is imperative to take all necessary measures to ensure that children are not involved in or exposed to activities that risk their safety and future. Every child must be able to grow up in an environment that allows them to develop fully, free from conflict and violence.
Protecting children is a collective moral duty. Every player in Haitian society - families, the State, civil society organizations and the international community - has a crucial role in guaranteeing a safe environment conducive to their development.
The use of children by gangs is a crime that must be eradicated with the utmost determination. Every child deserves to live safely, go to school, and dream of a better future. By allowing this exploitation to continue, we condemn not only these children but an entire generation and the very future of our country.
Let us unite our voices and efforts so that every Haitian child can live in a climate of peace, security and dignity.
Protecting our children: an imperative today for a better tomorrow.