UN special representative says Haitian children face 'profound suffering' as gangs expand; urges rapid handovers

Vanessa Frasier, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, told reporters after her first official visit to Haiti that she had "witnessed profound suffering for many children" and that the situation demanded urgent action.

Frasier said children in Haiti face "extraordinarily complex, multi-layered" threats including recruitment, abductions, and sexual violence. "In 2025 alone, the recruitment and use of children nearly tripled compared to previous years," she said, and estimated that more than half of gang members are children. She described rising killing and maiming, increasing use of schools and hospitals by armed actors, and a broader protection and humanitarian crisis that leaves many children cut off from education and health services.

Frasier recounted visits to detention and reintegration sites. She said she visited an overcrowded detention facility she identified as Sir Mikol in Porto France where "about 80 children have been held for many years in disastrous conditions without charges," with some held as long as eight years and few having seen a judge. She urged Haitian authorities to treat children encountered in security operations "first and foremost as victims" and to implement the handover protocol signed with the United Nations in 2024 so children can be transferred to child protection services.

Frasier described reintegration projects she visited, including a centre in an area referred to in the briefing as Leai, which she said is being renovated to receive up to 600 children separated from gangs. Speaking of the children she met, she said: "They want to go to school. They want to play. They want to learn and simply to be children again." She stressed that reintegration without economic opportunity risks return to gangs and called for coordinated public‑private partnerships, donor support and government action to create jobs for youth and for caregivers.

Frasier credited UNICEF and UN partners on the ground for their work but emphasized the Haitian government's role in enabling economic activity and follow-through. She said the handover protocol defines a child as anyone up to 18 and reported responsiveness from Haitian authorities to implement initial handovers for detainees she raised.

On operational timing, Frasier said there is "a window of opportunity" as the Gang Suppression Force prepares operations; she pressed for expedited, protective handovers during security actions so children are diverted to protection and reintegration rather than prolonged detention. She concluded by reiterating the UN's commitment to work with Haiti, UNICEF, civil society and donors to strengthen child protection.

The briefing moved to an extended question-and-answer session; Frasier declined to comment on unpublished United Nations secretary-general reports but answered reporters' questions about the mandate, field observations and reintegration challenges. The session closed after reporters thanked Frasier and she expressed hope to return to Haiti.