Haiti

Overview

Haiti is regularly affected by natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, and droughts. At least 4.4 million people in Haiti (about 40% of the population) were in need of humanitarian assistance as at March 2021; almost 49% of them are children. Food insecurity persists across the country, with approximately 4.1 million people in acute need of food assistance. This is caused by the combined effects of natural hazards and poor socioeconomic conditions. In November 2020, 69% of 11,600 households surveyed reported a decrease in their incomes as a result of the pandemic. During 2019–2020, four million children did not have access to education. Haiti experiences political and social turbulence because of gang violence, which has been on the rise since the second half of 2020. Since June 2021, approximately 18,100 people have been displaced by armed violence, and about 1.5 million have been affected by the inability to access basic services in Port-au-Prince during clashes between gangs. The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on 7 July adds a new element of political instability to the current crisis, although the potential developments and consequences of the event are not yet clear. ?

INFORM measures Haiti's risk of humanitarian crisis and disaster for 2019 to be high at 6.5/10. Lack of Coping Capacity is of particular concern, at 7.4/10.?

Latest Developments

Clashes between armed gangs for territorial control have increased in Port-au-Prince since 24 April. At least 92 people with no connection to the gangs have been killed, with another 113 injured, many with gunshot wounds. Threats, forced recruitment, kidnapping, robbery, and sexual violence are reported, and 9,000 people have displaced to safer neighbourhoods or cities. Increased fighting has deteriorated access to healthcare, especially in the north of Port-au-Prince, where five medical centres are out of service, and two private hospitals have suspended operations following the abduction of a staff member. The rising cost of living has further restricted access to medical care. Medical staff have been confined to medical centres at times because of insecurity.  Access restrictions have affected ambulance movement and movement of water tankers that provide drinking water.  In neighbourhoods such as Brooklyn, civilians have been confined to their homes because of fighting, roadblocks, or targeting by armed gangs. ?