As Haiti grapples with a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian emergency, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope wrapped up a high-level visit to the country this week, calling on the international community to ramp up support for communities displaced by escalating violence and political instability.
More than one million people are now internally displaced across Haiti—triple the number recorded just a year ago. Gang control over large swaths of Port-au-Prince has forced families to flee their homes repeatedly, leaving them without shelter, clean water, or healthcare. Compounding the crisis, nearly 200,000 Haitians were deported from neighboring countries last year, placing additional strain on already overwhelmed local systems.
“This is one of the most complex and urgent crises in the world, with implications for regional and global stability,” said DG Pope. “When we invest in humanitarian support, we don’t just save lives – we build resilience and safety to helps stabilize communities and reduce the conditions that cause forced migration.”
During her visit, Pope met with displaced families at a site in Port-au-Prince to hear firsthand the challenges they face. “A mother told me she had fled her neighborhood three times in two months. She was living under a tarp with her children, with no idea where they could go next,” DG Pope said. “These are not just statistics—they are lives caught in crisis over and over.”
In addition to field visits, Pope engaged with Haitian government officials—including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Religious Affairs, and Haitians Living Abroad—to explore tangible steps toward improving migration governance, expanding access to legal documentation, and strengthening reintegration efforts.
IOM currently leads operations across more than 50 displacement sites in Haiti, providing shelter, camp coordination, protection services, and emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance—even in high-risk areas. The agency is also working with communities to rebuild essential infrastructure and increase access to education and economic opportunities.
“The Haitian people are showing remarkable strength in the face of unthinkable hardship,” DG Pope said. “But relying on resilience alone is not a strategy. The Haitian people need support—and they need it now. The cost of inaction will not only be measured in lives lost, but also in broader instability that affects us all.”
IOM reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Haitian people and government in restoring safety, dignity, and opportunity across the country.
