Why is it easier for a young person to get a rifle instead of a plate of food in #Haiti?

Why is it easier for a young person to get a rifle in Haiti instead of a plate of food? 

This question was asked by a 17-year-old young man living in Cite Solê when he was asked to give his opinion at a meeting. 

It was used by Canadian Ambassador Bob Rae, who is also the current President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). to open the special session of this UN organ on Monday, December 2. 

The ambassador invited other ambassadors, UN officials, humanitarian officials and Haitians who were participating in this session to think about the issue.

In Haiti there are 5.4 million people facing serious food insecurity, according to ONU Info , among these people, half of them are children, there are 700,000 displaced people. This calls for an urgent international intervention to counter this crisis which has been exacerbated by the violence of armed groups, economic instability and insufficient funds for humanitarian issues.

Ambassador Bob Rae continued to ask questions:

"Now what must we do to give priority to the needs of children and the needs of young people? What should we work on now, and over a longer period of time, to attack the real cause of the Haitian crisis? How can we deploy all our tools and resources to support the next generation in Haiti so that it can live a life of dignity, without violence, without poverty and discrimination? How can we coordinate our efforts to support the Haitians who are struggling for security, stability and prosperity?

Jean Jean Roosevelt, for her part, who is the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF, pleads for the protection of children. He stated that the protection of children should not be a choice among others, but it should be our first priority. In this sense, the artist asks for urgent measures that everyone can feel before he interprets his music that says "Attentions aux enfants!" (Be careful with children!)

Further Jean Jean Roosevelt painted a sobering picture of the dire reality affecting 1.5 million children due to civil unrest and gang violence. The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador stated:

"In Port-au-Prince, one out of every 2 children is a victim of physical violence and last year they recorded more than 3,100 children who were victims of sexual violence, which represents a 400% increase compared to 2022. The schools that were temples of knowledge and development has become the basis for the armed groups now.

Children represent up to 50% of the number of gang members now and they threaten to stop dreaming of becoming teachers, nurses, engineers, doctors, according to the artist who goes on to say:

"Every child who drops out of school because of insecurity is a victory for ignorance, a step backwards on the path of progress and a tragedy for humanity."

That is why he invited participants in the ECOSOC meeting to mobilize to build a tomorrow where every child will have security, freedom, where every child will be able to eat, receive health care and education.

Elsewhere, Tom Fletcher, who is the Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations who has just taken the post, also underlined the negative impact of the crisis on children. He said that the children of Haiti are displaced, they suffer from hunger, they live in fear and armed gangs control the neighborhoods where they live.

For her part, Catherine Russel, who is the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), returned to the situation of children recruited by armed gangs. He said that UNICEF estimates that the number of children enrolled in armed groups represents 30 to 54% and the number of children enrolled in these armed groups has increased to 70% during the past year. Elsewhere he underlined the situation of the essential services that have completely collapsed with 1.5 million young people who do not have access to education, not counting the number of hospitals and health centers that are closed because of the insecurity.

Faced with this disastrous situation, the United Nations is trying to do what it can, but the aid is not enough. For example, the World Food Program (WFP) announced a broad response in which they aim to bring emergency aid to nearly 2 million people.

Wanja Kaaria, who is the new Director of PAM in Haiti, has announced that they have distributed a record amount of food aid to Haitians in Port-au-Prince and throughout the country in recent months and expect to distribute even more in the coming weeks. He also said that PAM supports the local economy by taking 70% of the food ingredients in the schools from the Haitian farmers.

Yet this response does not even represent a fraction of the number of needs.

In this situation, the speakers at the ECOSOC session show the need for urgent international action to solve the funding problem, protect children and rebuild essential services.
#Haiti