Mass Displacement and the Use of Schools as Shelters in Haiti
The gang violence in Haiti continues to be a devastating crisis, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and leaving many with no option but to seek shelter in former schools. The situation, particularly as of July 2025, remains extremely volatile and is characterized by widespread displacement, a severe humanitarian emergency, and a crumbling social infrastructure.
Record Displacement: As of July 2025, nearly 1.3 million people are internally displaced in Haiti. This represents a staggering 24% increase since December 2024 and is the highest number of people displaced by violence ever recorded in the country. About one in six children in Haiti are now internally displaced.
Schools Transformed into Shelters: With nowhere else to go, many displaced families are converting former schools into makeshift shelters. For example, the Anténor Firmin school in Hinche, central Haiti, which once housed students, now accommodates over 700 displaced individuals. Classrooms where children once learned are now crammed with families sleeping on floors, with desks often serving as beds.
Loss of Education: This repurposing of schools has a profound impact on education. As of April 30, 2025, nearly 1,600 schools across four departments remained closed due to insecurity, with an additional 166 forced to relocate. This means that over 90% of children in displaced situations have been denied their fundamental right to education. The education system is collapsing as teachers also flee, leaving children without access to learning and making them more vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups.
Escalating Violence and Gang Control:
Widespread Gang Influence: Armed gangs have significantly expanded their territorial control, with reports indicating they now control an estimated 85 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The violence has also spread beyond the capital to previously untouched areas, particularly the Artibonite and Centre departments.
Tactics of Violence: Gangs employ horrific tactics including murder, kidnapping, sexual violence (including rape, gang rape, and sexual enslavement), arson, and looting against the civilian population. This has led to mass killings and forced evacuations, with entire towns like Mirebalais (Centre department) seeing all 100,000 residents flee earlier this year.
High Death Toll: Between October 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,864 people were killed across Haiti due to gang violence, with hundreds of others kidnapped, raped, and trafficked.
Transnational Risks: The expansion of gang control, especially along key routes towards the Dominican Republic, poses a major risk of spreading violence and increasing transnational trafficking in arms and people.
Humanitarian Crisis and Response:
Dire Humanitarian Conditions: The humanitarian situation is critical. Approximately 5.7 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with over 8,400 experiencing "catastrophic hunger." Displaced families often live in overcrowded conditions without adequate clean water, food, or protection.
Vulnerability of Children and Women: Children are disproportionately affected, facing increased risks of sexual violence, exploitation, and forced recruitment into armed groups. Women and girls are also highly vulnerable to sexual violence.
Limited Aid and Protection: Despite the immense needs, humanitarian access is constrained by insecurity. Organizations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF are working to provide emergency aid, shelter kits, mental health support, and safe spaces for children, but efforts are hampered by funding shortfalls and the sheer scale of the crisis.
Security Challenges: The Haitian National Police (HNP) and the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission have struggled to make significant headway against the gangs due to a lack of resources and adequate equipment.
The ongoing gang violence in Haiti is creating an "unending horror story" for its people, leading to unprecedented displacement and a profound humanitarian crisis that requires urgent and sustained international attention and support.
I'm Aisha shehu
Talksocialtalka News
