According to the agency, this is an unprecedented increase amid the escalation of violence in the Caribbean nation.

Children currently make up for half of all gang members, and their recruitment is prompted by widespread poverty, lack of education and the collapse of essential services, the agency said in a statement released here.

As a result, chaos and horror have become part of their daily life, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Children in Haiti are trapped in a vicious cycle, recruited by the same armed groups that are fueling their desperation, and the number keeps on increasing,” she added.

In Port-au-Prince alone, 1.2 million of minors live under the constant threat of armed violence.

At the same time, an estimated 25 percent of the 703,000 internally displaced Haitians are children living in dire conditions and exposed to multiple threats.

This deteriorating security situation is causing a sharp increase in violence against the most vulnerable inhabitants, including women and children.

Sexual violence and rape have become rampant, according to United Nations reports, which indicate that the number of children exposed to sexual violence has increased tenfold this year alone.

In response, UNICEF has taken on a number of initiatives including training security forces and civil society organizations on how to protect children, as well as providing care to former child soldiers, along with psychosocial support and family reunification services.

The agency again called on all parties in Haiti to prioritize child protection, support the immediate release of recruited minors, and ensure that their rights are a fundamental element in any agreement.

“Children in many parts of Haiti are subject to atrocities that no one should have to experience,” Russell said, recalling that the current situation “leaves them with psychological and emotional scars that could haunt them for life.”

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