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STORY: UN / HAITI UPDATE
TRT: 01:45
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 08 MAY 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations
08 MAY 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, spokesperson, journalists, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“From Haiti, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that the recent wave of armed violence in the Centre Department is putting thousands of children at risk. Since mid-April, more than 50,000 people have been displaced, including an estimated 15,000 children.
Most displaced families have taken shelter in rural areas or in temporary sites with little access to essential services. In response, the UN and our humanitarian partners are providing psychosocial support and child protection services in the most affected areas. So far, more than 1,400 children have benefited from individual counseling and recreational activities in safe environments.
Field teams are also identifying and referring children who have been separated from their families, subjected to gender-based violence, or exposed to other protection risks – including forced recruitment by armed groups. At least 150 such cases have been referred to specialized services for care and support.
OCHA continues to lead coordination efforts and support partners to deliver life-saving protection services for the most vulnerable children. However, additional funding is urgently needed to meet rising needs, especially with the hurricane season approaching and displacement continuing to increase.
Even before the recent escalation of violence in Haiti, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had identified more than $44 million in funding that is needed for child protection efforts alone. Yet the overall appeal for Haiti this year is severely underfunded, with less than $68 million received of the more than $908 million required – that’s just over 7 per cent to date.”
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that the recent wave of armed violence in the Centre Department is putting thousands of children at risk. Since mid-April, more than 50,000 people have been displaced, including an estimated 15,000 children.
Briefing reporters in New York, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said, “Most displaced families have taken shelter in rural areas or in temporary sites with little access to essential services. In response, the UN and our humanitarian partners are providing psychosocial support and child protection services in the most affected areas. So far, more than 1,400 children have benefited from individual counseling and recreational activities in safe environments.”
Field teams are also identifying and referring children who have been separated from their families, subjected to gender-based violence, or exposed to other protection risks – including forced recruitment by armed groups. At least 150 such cases have been referred to specialized services for care and support.
OCHA continues to lead coordination efforts and support partners to deliver life-saving protection services for the most vulnerable children. However, additional funding is urgently needed to meet rising needs, especially with the hurricane season approaching and displacement continuing to increase.
Even before the recent escalation of violence in Haiti, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had identified more than $44 million in funding that is needed for child protection efforts alone. Yet the overall appeal for Haiti this year is severely underfunded, with less than $68 million received of the more than $908 million required – that’s just over 7 per cent to date.”
