According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), of the 1,041,000 displaced people in Haiti (as of January 14, 2025), approximately 540,000 are children, of whom 187,000 are under five years old (34%).

Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, National Director of the international child rights NGO "Save the Children" in Haiti, said "[...] These young children are particularly vulnerable and during their displacement, many of them will not benefit from the essential elements of early childhood, including vaccinations, clean water, health care, nutritious food and adequate shelter from extreme heat and rain."

Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, recalls "The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are essential to their development and in this context of violence and instability, these children risk being left behind. Without urgent intervention, we face the grim reality of a generation unable to recover from the impact of this humanitarian crisis on their early years. Their future is at risk, as is the future of Haiti."

"The only way to truly protect children’s lives is for this violence to end and for all parties to do everything in their power to de-escalate the situation immediately [...] life-saving humanitarian aid and aid workers must be allowed to reach those in need without delay and the international community must urgently increase funding for humanitarian aid in Haiti."

"Save the Children" supports families through cash assistance so they can buy the items they need most. The NGO provided cash assistance to displaced families in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area living in schools converted into shelters to find more dignified housing solutions while helping to free up schools to resume educational activities, as well as cash assistance to host families in the Grande Anse and Sud departments. The children’s rights organization also works with local partners in the Ouest, Grand'Anse and South departments of Haiti to provide access to quality education and psychosocial support to students.

HL/ HaitiLibre