Children speak: Going to school in Haiti

Haiti has been plagued by compounding humanitarian emergencies characterized by political instability, armed groups and violence. These crises have created protection risks for its population and forced mass displacement. At the end of 2024, over 1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were recorded in Haiti, with more than half a million of them being children. Estimates show that nearly 1 in 8 children in the entire country are now internally displaced.

According to reports from the Haiti Education Cluster, the number of schools closed has increased to 959 as of the end of January 2025, up by 40 since July 2024, marking the intensifying impact of the crisis on education.

The Education Cluster’s response has focused on ensuring the coordination for the provision of pre-primary and primary education to IDP and host communities’ girls and boys, particularly in the West where the needs are most critical. In January, the response reached a total of 6,965 students in host schools.

Supported by the Global Education Cluster, the Haiti Education Cluster also conducted a needs assessment at the end of 2024 to inform future strategies, operational approaches and evidence-based programmatic recommendations for the education sector. The analysis included consultations with affected students to hear their perspectives and understand their most pressing needs.

Here is how children in Haiti speak about their experiences going to school: