A silent crisis
The long healing process of survivors of sexual violence in Haiti
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Port-au-Prince, Haiti – As the security situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate, sexual violence is emerging as one of the most extreme, most destructive, and yet least visible forms of violence in the current humanitarian crisis.
The available data is alarming. Compared to 2023, the country recorded a dramatic 1,000% increase in cases of sexual violence committed against children in 2024. This figure, beyond its statistical magnitude, reflects a daily reality marked by fear, silence, and impunity.
Many survivors, often very young, face deep trauma, social stigma, and limited access to healthcare and psychological support.
In this alarming context, UNICEF, in partnership with several local organizations, is supporting health services, protection, and psychosocial support to help survivors like Nella*, Eduine*, and Kettia* overcome their trauma.
Nella*, 25: “I was ashamed of myself”
Nella, 25, lived a quiet life with her aunt in Carrefour-Feuilles, a neighborhood increasingly caught in the crossfire of armed violence in Port-au-Prince. One night, everything changed. Gunshots rang out. People fled. Nella and her aunt did too, seeking safety in a displacement camp. But what awaited her there was even more terrifying.
I lived in Carrefour-Feuilles with my aunt. During an evening in a camp, I was raped. It was a terrible situation. I was completely destroyed. I could no longer continue my small business. I was ashamed of myself and of the people around me because I was still in shock.
Paralyzed by shame and fear, Nella* withdrew into herself, isolating herself from those around her. It took time, but she eventually found the courage to confide in her aunt, who took her to receive emergency medical care. She was referred to a psychologist. That was when her recovery journey began.
Nella* was later connected with OFAVA, a local UNICEF-supported partner that provides psychosocial support to survivors of violence. Thanks to consistent and compassionate follow-up, she gradually regained her voice, and with it, the strength and confidence she thought she had lost.
With the social worker, I feel safe. He helps me relax without pressuring me to talk when I’m not ready. Now, thanks to the support I received, I feel much better than before.
Eduine*, 17: “There were three of them”
After her neighborhood became too dangerous to stay in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, Eduine* sought refuge in a displacement site. She was only 17 years old, living alone, without family.
One night, I was lying somewhere in the camp when I suddenly felt someone touch me. I stood up, surprised, and saw three men surrounding me. I screamed, but no one came to help me. All three raped me.
he next morning, shaken and numb, Eduine* found the courage to confide in another woman at the site, who took her to OFAVA, where she was referred for medical tests.
A month later, I discovered that I was pregnant. Like many survivors, the idea of carrying a child resulting from a rape deeply disturbed her mental health, breaking her physically and mentally.
With regular psychosocial sessions and a strong support system, Eduine* slowly began to heal and found the strength she needed to love and continue to care for her newborn.
Kettia*, 16: “They locked us up”
In Petite-Rivière, Kettia* lived with her father and stepmother. One day, armed men broke into their house.
I was living in Petite-Rivière with my father and mother-in-law. One day armed men came. They beat my father and raped my stepmother and me. They locked us up for several days without eating. They released us after a certain number of days and walked around without any destination.
After several days in captivity, they were released and found lying on the side of the road, weak, disoriented and barely conscious. An unknown person found them and took them first to the police station and then to a UNICEF-supported health centre. There, Kettia* and her mother-in-law received urgent medical care and psychosocial support. The centre also provided them with temporary shelter and helped them start small income-generating activities to help them gradually get back on their feet.
Breaking the silence, strengthening the response
The testimonies of these young women reveal the scale of the crisis in Haiti. In neighborhoods affected by armed violence and in displacement sites, the stories are eerily similar: rights violations, lack of protection, and a heavy silence caused by fear, shame, or limited access to basic social services.
In Port-au-Prince, as well as in other regions severely affected by violence and instability, particularly in the Artibonite and North-East departments, local organizations, with the technical and financial support of UNICEF, and its donors, including the European Union through ECHO, the Government of Norway, and the French Embassy in Haiti are deploying a multisectoral response to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). This response includes the provision of emergency medical care, particularly for cases of sexual violence, specialized psychosocial support, and income-generating activities aimed at fostering the economic empowerment of women and girls exposed to violence.
At the same time, dignity kits containing menstrual hygiene products and essential items are distributed to meet the urgent needs of displaced women and girls. Temporary safe shelter solutions are also being set up for those at highest risk.
Community awareness sessions are regularly organized to prevent gender-based violence, challenge harmful social norms, and inform communities about available referral mechanisms and support services.
Yet, despite the hundreds of survivors who have received help, countless others remain invisible.
It is essential to expand access to services, protect frontline workers, and ensure dignified care for every woman and every girl.
Names have been changed for security reasons.
