The population of Haiti suffers from a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by violence gangs operating in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where they have caused havoc and mass displacement.
The The needs are immense and the resources are insufficientwith international donors having provided only a quarter of the $680 million needed for the humanitarian plan presented last February, emergency operations managers from three relief agencies reported Friday at the end of a four-day visit to the Caribbean country.
At a press conference from Haiti, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Promotion of the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that for many Haitians “it is very clear that they are paying the high price of violence that, once again, has devastated the country”.
Lucia Elmi, Director of Emergency Programs at United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)and Andrea Koulaimah from the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department, also present at the video conference, stressed that The eleven million Haitians living in the country have seen their lives shaken by violence one way or another.
Violence has forced nearly 600,000 Haitians to flee their homes and the Displacement has increased by 60% since March.
Risk of dying of hunger
In addition, it is estimated that five million people suffer from acute hunger and almost 1.6 million people are at risk of dying of hunger.
Haiti’s health and education systems have also been severely affected. Only two out of five hospitals are functioning and more than 100 schools have closed, depriving some 200,000 children of education.
“We only have eight weeks before the start of the new school year, so there is a window of opportunity that we need to take advantage of to get those schools not only reopened but operational again,” Elmi said.
The senior UNICEF official noted that Women and children suffer disproportionately because of the crisis and that the level of brutality and violence they suffer is “really very, very painful.”
Thousands of families are displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Sexual violence is on the rise
Sexual violence has multiplied by 400 compared to last yearwhen about 100,000 cases were reported, he said.
He also recalled a center in Port-au-Prince that supports survivors, where they met a 14-year-old girl whose family had been kidnapped and some members killedAlthough the teenager was raped and beaten for days, she remains determined to finish her studies and become a social worker.
The officials’ visit also included the cities of Gonaïves in the north and Les Cayes in the south, where they spoke to people from all walks of life, including farmers, children out of school, mothers and businesswomen.
They also held talks with the authorities, in particular the new Prime Minister Garry Connille.
Humanitarian aid is not enough to solve the crisis
The EU humanitarian agency stressed that while the crisis requires a stronger and better-funded response, It will not be solved with humanitarian aid alone.
“It has to be resolved by the Haitians themselves.and the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to do everything in its power to get out of the current crisis, but they need our support,” said Koulaimah.
He stressed that despite the shortage of funds and difficulties in access, humanitarian aid is being delivered and “achieving its objective.”
The OCHA official, for her part, added that “Haiti needs real and lasting solutions to boost development,” which involves restoring schools, health centers and other basic services.
What Haitians are asking for
Throughout the visit, the Haitians repeatedly asked for three things: peace, an end to violence and getting their lives backWosornu explained.
“We conclude our visit by reiterating our lCalls on the international community to support the people of Haiti“He stressed, adding that it is a debt of the world “to the women, children, the elderly and all the people of Haiti that we met throughout the country.”
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