The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says it is responding to the urgent needs of thousands displaced in Haiti following a brutal gang attack in the town of Mirebalais last week that left several people dead, including two Roman Catholic nuns.
The attack, which took place on Monday in the Centre Department, was part of a broader offensive launched by the Vivre Ensemble coalition — a network of the country’s most powerful gangs seeking control of the capital, Port-au-Prince. According to authorities, gunmen torched houses and vehicles, and opened fire with automatic weapons, causing mass panic and destruction.
Among the victims were Sisters Evanette Onezaire and Jeanne Voltaire of the Order of Saint Teresa, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Max Leroy Mésidor, confirmed. The nuns were killed as they reportedly sought shelter during the gang rampage.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that nearly 6,000 men, women, and children were displaced by the violence in Mirebalais alone. In response, the WFP said it has already served hot meals to 2,000 of those newly displaced, as part of a larger effort that has delivered over 100,000 meals to 15,000 people across Haiti in just the past week.
“Typically, newly displaced people are initially offered hot meals and then transitioned to cash assistance, pending available funding,” the WFP noted in its update.
In Port-au-Prince, worsening insecurity, ongoing protests, and roadblocks are further complicating relief efforts, said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. He said the WFP is still pushing forward with plans to reach 25,000 people experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity.
“These people, who live in areas controlled by armed groups, are largely cut off from the rest of the country,” Dujarric said. “As a reminder, according to the latest food security analysis, half of all Haitians don’t have enough to eat. Our colleagues at WFP Haiti are facing a funding gap of close to $54 million for the next six months.”
The situation continues to deteriorate as gangs grow bolder. Despite a 2023 UN Security Council resolution supporting the deployment of a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to help restore stability, violent criminal groups have continued their campaign of terror, targeting civilians — including women and children — in an attempt to fully dominate the capital.
According to the latest UN data, more than 4,200 people have been killed in Haiti between July 2024 and February 2025, with thousands more forced to flee their homes.
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