Publication

Humanitarian Needs Overview Haiti

17 April 2023

The humanitarian conditions in Haiti have deteriorated significantly over the course of 2022. this degradation is due to political impasse, three consecutive years of economic recession and inflation soaring past 48% according to l’Institut haïtien de statistique (Haitian Institute for Statistics).

The violence has hit unprecedented levels with armed gangs have more and more control over territory, notably in the capital city of Port-auPrince, and holding the population to ransom and triggering an internal displacement crisis.

Following a mid-September announcement by the government of its intention to reduce the fuel subsidy, the country was plunged into a crisis characterised by large, sometimes violent protests last several months and blockades of the primary power supply station in Haiti by gangs. This blockade paralysed social and economic activity, limiting the populations access to basic services, cutting off emergency response services and creating significant difficulties for humanitarian access.

These conditions led to the closure of several health centres and schools, depriving thousands of people of care and some 4 million children of the their right to education.

Food insecurity in the country has also hit worrying highs. Close to half of the population suffers from food insecurity and, for the first time in the history of Haiti, at least 19,000 people are facing extreme hunger.

The hopelessness pushes more and more people to leave the country despite facing the risk of deportation by land, air or sea.

Within this alarming context, the authorities confirmed new cases of Cholera in October, the first in three years. The illness spread around the country from mid-November. As a result, in 2023, more than 5.2 million Haïtians need humanitarian aid, as compared to 4.9 million en 2022.

This document provides a common understanding of this multi-dimensional crisis in Haiti, including the most pressing humanitarian needs and the estimated number of people who now need humanitarian assistance.