UNICEF warned that “nowhere is safe” in Haiti in announcing that the number of children and women abducted for ransom in the first eight months of 2021 has already exceeded the 2020 total.
At least 100 women and children have been among the 800 reported abducted through October. UNICEF said the 71 women and 30 children counted so far surpasses the 59 women and 37 children taken for ransom in all of 2020.
“Nowhere is a safe place for children in Haiti,” said Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Whether it’s on their way to school, at home or even at church, girls and boys are at risk of being kidnapped anywhere, at any time of the day or night. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare.”
To improve incident reporting and assistance to children in need, including abducted children, UNICEF supported the national child protection agency, IBESR, by reactivating its toll-free telephone hotline with the Brigade for the Protection of Minors (BPM) to assist families. Read more
