Acute hunger affects half of the population in Haiti

As Haiti faces a serious security crisis, 5.4 million of its inhabitants, half of the population, are hungrywarned this Monday the World Food Program (PMA), highlighting that this is one of the highest national rates of acute food insecurity.

According to the WFP food security index, two million of those people are at emergency levels of hungersuffering from extreme food shortages, severe malnutrition and numerous diseases.

The organization specified that at least 6,000 internally displaced people housed in temporary shelters in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, are currently suffering. catastrophic levels of food insecuritywhich means that they face not only hunger, but death, destitution and extremely critical levels of malnutrition.

The data was revealed in the most recent report on food security, prepared by the WFP, the National Food Security Coordination of Haiti and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The worst humanitarian emergency in the West

The executive director of the WFP called Do not turn your back on the worst food emergency of the Western Hemisphere.

“The WFP urges widespread support to massively increase life-saving assistance to families struggling every day with extreme food shortages, growing malnutrition and deadly diseases. There can be no security or stability in Haiti while millions of people face hunger,” said Cindy McCain.

Humanitarian agencies and food NGOs in Haiti They need 230 million dollars to implement assistance programs until the end of the year. Humanitarian organizations continue to face difficulties in accessing communities living in gang-controlled areas.

So far in 2024, the WFP has supported 1.35 million people in the Caribbean country, including through emergency assistance, school meals, social protection and resilience activities. Families with pregnant or lactating women or children under five years of age receive additional support to prevent malnutrition.

The agency has requested additional resources to expand aid emergency food.

Mass displacements

Violent gang-related attacks and clashes increased in Port-au-Prince in early 2024, forcing a temporary halt to shipping and airport operations. Hundreds of thousands of people have had to leave their homes in search of security.

According to the latest figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,661 people have been killed since January of this year.

In the last six monthsthe number of internally displaced people has almost doubled to more than 700,000. Many displaced people have found refuge in a hundred sites in Port-au-Prince, including schools and public buildings.

Shelters for internally displaced people are often overcrowded and unhealthycreating a high risk of disease spread, while traumatized families who have seen their incomes and livelihoods disappear struggle to purchase enough food.

Thousands of Haitians have fled violence in gang-controlled areas, seeking safety and refuge across the country.

Mission extended

While the Security Council of the UN today unanimously adopted a resolution that extends until October 2, 2025 the mandate of the Multinational Security Support Mission led by Kenya, which, although not a UN operation, does have the support of the Security Council.

A first contingent of nearly 400 Kenyan police officers was deployed at the end of June to support the Haitian National Police in its fight against gang violence. A second Kenyan contingent of 200 police arrived in mid-July and Jamaican police were deployed in September.

Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin and Chad have promised to send agents to the Mission, which In total it should have around 2,500 police officers.

The resolution approved today calls on the Multinational Mission to accelerate your deployment and hopes that there will be an increase in voluntary contributions and support for the Mission.

The Security Council also expresses deep concern about the situation in Haiti, “particularly with regard to violence, criminal activities and the mass displacement of Haitians.”

Likewise, it reaffirms “the need to continue leading a political process directed and controlled by Haitians that allows for the holding of free and fair presidential and legislative elections”, and recalls the mandate of the Multinational Mission, which consists of creating favorable security conditions for this process.