In Haiti, children are increasingly becoming casualties of gang warfare. Child slavery is legal in the country, and child exploitation and trafficking still exist because of it. But the rising numbers of war children are a result of even broader social realities. Gangs have taken control of Port-au-Prince, and for months they have been forcibly recruiting vulnerable youth from the streets, turning them into instruments of war amid surging violence. UNICEF reports a 200% increase [1] in child recruitment in 2025 alone, with the UN estimating that 30–50% of gang members are now children.[2]

These war children, often orphaned or separated from families, are victims of a brutal system. Many are abducted or threatened into joining, if not lured by false assurances of safety, food, or social status. As UNICEF states in their recent report:

“Recruitment into armed groups exposes children to multiple risks, including injury, maiming, or death in combat, sexual, psychological, and physical abuse, and arbitrary detention, while also disrupting their access to education, thereby undermining their safety, well-being, and overall development.”[3]

On this World Day of Social Justice, we invite you to pray with us that the Lord would work powerfully in the lives of the weak and oppressed in Haiti. He alone can bring peace to the

Here are some ways you can join us in our efforts to share the hope of Christ in a culture darkened by child exploitation:

• Pray with us that the Haitian government will deem child trafficking illegal.
• Pray for opportunities to care for more children touched by the effects of war.
• Pray for our Haitian staff, who care for and minister to our rescued children every day.
• Pray that each child in our care would know the healing power and salvation of Jesus Christ.
• Share about Connect 2 Ministries’ efforts today with your family and friends.

Visit our Support Us page for information about how you can partner with us.

[1] Dánica Coto, “UNICEF warns that child recruitment by armed groups in Haiti tripled last year,” Associated Press, February 12, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gangs-children-recruited-violence-unicef-36e90fdd372d2facff3c47524f3c9b86.

[2] “Child recruitment in Haiti surges threefold in just one year,” UNICEF, February 12, 2026, https://www.unicef.org/haiti/en/press-releases/child-recruitment-haiti-surges-threefold-just-one-year.

[3] Coto, “Child recruitment by armed groups.”