The United Nations says the humanitarian situation in Haiti’s capital region continues to deteriorate following a recent escalation of armed violence, particularly in the Cité Soleil neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince.
Speaking at a daily briefing on Tuesday, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is coordinating relief efforts to improve access to people in urgent need as conditions worsen on the ground.
According to updated figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 17,500 people—more than 4,200 households—have been displaced over the past two weeks as a result of intensified gang clashes that erupted earlier this month.
Haq said more than 80 per cent of displaced residents are currently sheltering in 33 makeshift sites, while others are being hosted by already vulnerable families. Humanitarian assessments show rapidly increasing needs for food, clean water, medical care and hygiene supplies.
He also raised concerns about safety conditions in displacement sites, citing poor lighting and overcrowding as factors increasing risks for women, children and persons with disabilities. “Children separated from their families, pregnant women and people with disabilities are at greater risk,” Haq said.
Humanitarian partners continue to operate in the affected areas, but officials say access constraints and insecurity are hampering the delivery of aid.
The latest surge in violence began around May 10, when coordinated armed clashes and gang activity spread across Cité Soleil and other parts of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, further deepening instability in the Caribbean nation.
