Armed Gangs Recruit Children Shut out of Haitian Schools -

ARMED GANGS RECRUIT CHILDREN. Since 2020, attacks by armed gangs have caused 1,700 schools to close in Port-au-Prince. And so far, half a million young students have had to stay at home as a result.

But thousands of those children then had to flee their homes due to further gang violence. And hundreds of homes have been burned or damaged.

Gangs have occupied many other homes and schools as they claimed turf from other gangs. Now they are recruiting children who roam the streets. In fact, one report found that gangs had contacted 13 percent of children in one neighborhood. The UN says the gangs offer kids money to join or death if they don’t. They assign recruits to tasks such as watching for police.

In the past two years gangs have kidnapped hundreds of people, poor and rich alike. Then they hold them for ransoms ranging from a few dollars to $17 million. That’s what they demanded in 2020 for the 17 missionaries who finally escaped, by God’s grace. But the less missionaries, the less aid.

I myself served as a missionary to Haiti. As a result, I know how much of a difference aid makes in the form of daily rice, beans and a few veggies. Especially for schoolchildren. So when lawlessness increases like this in a destitute country, we must pray miracles from heaven. And for the little love that kids are getting not to grow cold, but to increase all the more.

Image by Rapheal Nathaniel from Pixabay