The United Nations has once again urged the international community to improve conditions in Haiti, warning that hunger continues to worsen amid escalating violence and underfunded humanitarian efforts.
“The food crisis is compounded by ongoing violence, which is disrupting local food production in areas such as the commune of Kenscoff and the Artibonite department. These regions are often referred to as Haiti’s breadbaskets,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said this week.
As of May, more than 5.7 million people in Haiti are estimated to be food insecure, with many unable to meet their basic needs, according to UN humanitarian officials.
“We and our partners are responding wherever and whenever we can. Between January and May, more than 1.1 million people have received emergency food distributions, while nearly 247,000 others received support to restore their agricultural livelihoods or strengthening their resilience,” Dujarric added.
In addition, 242,000 people staying in displacement camps have received hot meals. Still, the UN says it has only been able to reach 38 percent of the people targeted for food aid this year—1.33 million out of the 3.4 million in need.
“This is due to ongoing violence, to insecurity, severe underfunding of the response, and the obvious access challenges,” Dujarric said.
He noted that Haiti is currently the least-funded among all the UN’s humanitarian appeals worldwide. The situation is particularly dire for food security, where just over two per cent of the US$425 million appeal has been met.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to work with partners to expand food aid.
“However, we just need more money to do our work to reach those people who need it,” Dujarric said.
