In recent months, schools have become targets. In some areas, armed groups see looting schools as a lucrative alternative to other forms of extortion and crime...

"[...] In just one month, January this year, armed groups destroyed 47 schools in Haiti’s capital. With 284 schools destroyed in 2024, the relentless attacks on education are accelerating, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without a place to learn," said Geetanjali Narayan, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, at a press conference in Geneva.

"On the back of such attacks, displacement and deepening poverty, UNICEF estimates one in seven children in Haiti is now out of school. And almost one million more are at risk of dropping out. Education—a last hope for so many Haitian children, and a top priority for parents—has never been more under threat.

"A child out of school is a child at risk." Last year, child recruitment into armed groups surged by 70 per cent. Right now, up to half of all armed group members are children—some as young as eight years old. Without access to education, children are more vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by armed groups. Education is one of the most effective tools we have to break this cycle.

"[...] Despite systemic challenges, literacy is a highly valued achievement in Haiti, and families take great pride in investing in their children's education — from the spotless way children go to school, to families dedicating a significant portion of their income to schooling.

"And UNICEF is at their side, delivering formal and non-formal education interventions to ensure children impacted by the crisis pursue quality learning, including by rehabilitating schools damaged during attacks, by setting up temporary learning spaces, and by reintegrating displaced children into schools. UNICEF and partners are conducting catch-up classes to compensate for the time they lost during school closures.

"UNICEF is also providing school kits and cash transfers to help families cope with the financial strain posed by their children’s education [...]

"This support is, however, minimal compared to the scale of needs in the country. UNICEF is asking for US$38million to ensure 600,000 children continue their education, despite the crisis. This would finance everything from the establishment of temporary learning spaces in displacement sites to more catch-up classes, and both formal and non-formal education initiatives. And yet such critical interventions are five percent funded...

HL/ HaitiLibre