Words are not enough, we must act immediately in Haiti

“Haiti urgently needs our attention,” said the president of the Economic and Social Council, Lachezara Stoeva, this Friday during an event dedicated to addressing the urgent food security needs of the Caribbean nation.

Stoeva warned that the Humanitarian Response Plan launched last April already indicated that almost half of the Haitian population suffers from hunger, that the recent floods, landslides and earthquake aggravated the deteriorating situation in Haiti and that the country suffers high levels of of insecurity and violence perpetrated by armed gangs.

“But words are not enough. Haiti faces complex and multifaceted challenges that require us to act urgently now. This year’s Haiti humanitarian response plan calls for $719 million, which is the largest appeal since the 2010 earthquake and more than double the amount requested in 2022. And currently, only 22.6% of this amount is financed”.

While emergency food aid is the top priority, Stoeva also highlighted the need to focus on efforts that can help build sustainable food systems in Haiti.

“We must learn the lessons of our past efforts in Haiti. A whole-of-society approach involving the Haitian people would be key to building resilient food systems.”

The president of the Economic and Social Council encouraged everyone to take immediate action in solidarity with the Haitian people. “Let’s work together for a Haiti without hunger,” she concluded.

Food security and that of people go hand in hand

The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and President Pro Tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Ralph E. Gonsalves, highlighted the relationship between food and human security.

“It is imperative to recognize that hunger not only exacerbates ongoing violence, but also has the potential to unleash new pockets of violence and conflict. Therefore, we stress that human security and food security are mutually reinforcing and need to be addressed together”.

Gonsalves stressed that the Haitian people want peace, security and prosperity, and that it is necessary to contribute to this hope through firm and committed multilateral action.

“While efforts to deal with the simultaneous crises in Haiti must be national, we must not overlook the transformative role that various regional organizations can playsuch as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), CELAC and the African Union. Haiti is a member state of CARICOM and CELAC, and is a vital and historically significant part of the African Diaspora, the sixth region of Africa.

The situation worsens daily

Next, the executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, and the World Food Program (WFP), Cindy McCain announced their upcoming visit to Haiti next week where they will meet with affected parties and assess the response on the ground.

“The time has come to act,” Russell said. The head of UNICEF He stressed that the Haitian people need “an immediate increase in regional and international support, including full funding of the Humanitarian Response Plan.”

He also indicated that the malnutrition crisis coincides with a cholera outbreak, in which almost half of the more than 46,000 suspected cases are children under 14 years of age. Severely malnourished children are five times more likely to die from cholera if they do not receive urgent treatment.

To this complicated health situation, he added that the national health system is on the verge of collapse and that the country does not have the capacity to adequately respond to the health and nutritional needs of vulnerable children and families.

For his part, McCain stressed that violence, insecurity and economic instability are causing a humanitarian emergency in Haiti that has not been seen since the 2010 earthquake. “The situation is desperate and worsens every day,” he warned.

The WFP executive director explained that 4.9 million people – almost half the population – suffer from acute food insecurity, including 1.8 million who are at serious risk of starvation.

“A coordinated and well-funded humanitarian response must be part of the broader strategy to restore security and political stability in Haiti,” he said.