Overview
- UN‑verified data show Colombia’s cases rose from 116 in 2020 to 453 in 2024, with officials warning the true scale is undercounted.
- The International Crisis Group logged more than 620 recruits in Colombia in 2024 and, drawing on Defense Ministry force‑growth figures, says total child combatants likely exceed 1,000.
- Recruiters increasingly target schools, recreational spaces and social media with promises of money, status or protection, with reports of brokers selling minors to armed groups.
- Children are deployed to frontline fighting and high‑risk technical tasks such as improvised explosives, land mines and armed drones, while many girls face domestic servitude and sexual violence.
- UNICEF reports recruitment in Haiti tripled in 2025 as displacement reached 1.4 million people—over half children—with protection and reintegration support still underpowered.