The Associated Press writes that the increase in child members is related to the worsening of poverty in the country, increasing violence, and political instability.

They’re not doing this voluntarily,” said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti. “Even when they are armed with weapons, the child here is the victim.”

UNITED Nations (AFP) — The number of children in Haiti recruited by armed groups has jumped by 70 per cent in the past year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned Sunday, with children making up almost half of gang membership.