Haiti’s Freefall Requires Urgent Global Action as Millions Face Hunger and Violence

Edem Wosurnu from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, informed journalists about her recent mission to the Caribbean island nation where violent armed gangs control significant areas.

The worsening crisis is characterized by rising insecurity, increased protection needs, mass displacement, alarming levels of gender-based violence (GBV), and a challenging environment for the UN and partners.

Families, not figures

OCHA is raising the alarm as over half the Haitian population, 6.4 million people, now require humanitarian assistance.

Some 5.7 million are facing hunger, with families skipping meals and children leaving school to support their households, while 1.5 million people – 12 percent of the population – are displaced.

“These are not abstract figures,” she emphasized. “These are families uprooted, children separated – many have lost their homes.”

Violence and vermin

Ms. Wosurnu, Director of OCHA’s Crisis Response Division, was in Haiti from 16-20 March and noted that “the situation has changed significantly” since her last mission two years ago.

She visited the capital Port-au-Prince, which is 90 percent under gang control, and other areas like Centre Department, where recent violence left 80 dead and 13,000 displaced.

The veteran humanitarian visited crowded displacement sites, including a school meant for 400 students but now sheltering 2,800 people.

“They talked about vermin, roaches at night; children with skin rashes,” she said. “The ground I walked on was where people sleep at night.”

Across Haiti, 1,600 schools are closed due to insecurity in a country that values education.

“School is significant for the people of Haiti,” she said. “So, 1,600 schools closed, 250,000 children missing education, is a huge deal.”

Protect women and girls

The plight of women and girls is “particularly horrendous” and signifies a protection crisis.

“Last year, 8,100 survivors of gender-based violence were recorded – a 25 percent increase from the previous year. Half involved rape,” she noted.

At one site, she met a 16-year-old girl with her three-month-old baby, describing them as “a child holding a child.” The teenager was displaced, unaware of her family’s whereabouts. A man offered help but instead abused her.

The girl represented another harsh statistic, as one in six GBV survivors is under 18. Ms. Wosurnu also talked to women whose “glazed-over eyes” reflected trauma.

Only 30 percent of survivors receive medical aid or psychological support within the critical 72 hours after sexual violence due to lack of funding for GBV.

Commitment to deliver

Despite the devastation in Haiti, the UN and its humanitarian partners continue supporting the population. Aid teams include national staff, many of whom are displaced and threatened but remain dedicated to their work.

“They sometimes negotiate with the very armed actors we discuss, delivering aid in extremely hard-to-reach areas,” she stated.

Humanitarians seek $880 million to support 4.2 million people in Haiti this year amid ongoing foreign aid cuts. Less than 20 percent has been received so far.

Haiti cannot wait

Ms. Wosurnu concluded her remarks with three requests “because the people of