The Ministry of National Education strongly condemns the attack on the school in the commune of Liancourt (Artibonite department) where a student, Alfred Fedins, 10, a 4th grade student, was fatally injured after received a buller while in his classroom. Despite all efforts, he could not be saved.

The Ministry condemns this act which revolts the conscience of the entire educational community and renews its appeal to the whole of society to protect the school, the children and the educational staff.

"Acts of armed violence against schools in Haiti, including shootings, ransackings, looting and kidnappings, have increased 9 times in one year, as growing insecurity and widespread unrest begin to cripple the education system of the country," warned UNICEF on Wednesday 9 February.

In the first four months of the school year (October 2022 to February 2023), 72 schools were targeted, compared to 8 during the same period last year.

The toll includes at least 13 schools targeted by armed groups, one school burned down, one student killed and at least two staff members kidnapped, according to reports from UNICEF partners. In the first six days of February, 30 schools were closed due to rising violence in urban areas, while more than one in four schools have remained closed since October 2022.

When the groups target schools, they frequently loot school materials, including desks, benches, blackboards, laptops, photocopiers, batteries and solar panels, sacks of rice, flour and maize for children school meals...

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 60% of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince is controlled by armed groups.

SL/ HaitiLibre