WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd November, 2021) At least seven schools in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince have been forced to pay armed criminal groups for security since the beginning of the school year in September, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement.
"Since the beginning of the school year in September, at least seven schools in and around the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince have already been forced to pay armed gangs in return for security and more have been threatened," UNICEF said Tuesday.
Most of the targeted schools have been in parts of the city controlled by armed criminal gangs, and the amount of money demanded by the groups is typically equal to the school fees of three students per class, UNICEF said.
Last week, UNICEF Chief of Communications in Haiti, Ndiaga Seck, told Sputnik that Haiti is currently in a state of chaos as a result of gang-related violence and kidnapping. This year, increased gang criminality has limited access to schools and prevented hundreds of children from starting or resuming their education, according to UNICEF.
17 Christian missionaries were abducted and taken hostage during a trip to an orphanage outside the capital city, Port-au-Prince in October. The missionaries were reportedly kidnapped by an armed gang known as 400 Mawozo, who are known for extorting businesses and ransoming kidnapped victims.
UNICEF called upon the Haitian government to take action to ensure security in and around schools and address gang violence against children.
