A sharp rise in gender-based violence in Haiti during the first three months of 2026 is raising alarm among United Nations humanitarian agencies, which warn that survivors are struggling to access critical support services amid severe funding shortages.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its partners documented nearly 2,000 incidents of gender-based violence between January and March 2026 — the equivalent of about 21 cases per day.
According to OCHA, more than 70 percent of the reported incidents involved rape, marking a significant increase from the previous quarter when rape accounted for 49 percent of cases. The agency said many of the assaults were gang rapes allegedly carried out by armed groups, with women and girls making up the majority of survivors.
The figures follow an already worsening trend in 2025, when humanitarian partners recorded more than 8,000 incidents of gender-based violence across Haiti, representing a 25 percent increase over the previous year.
OCHA warned that the growing crisis is unfolding as support services remain critically underfunded. Of the US$15 million needed this year to respond to gender-based violence cases, only 8 percent has been secured so far.
The funding gap is severely limiting access to emergency medical care for survivors, particularly within the critical 72-hour period after a sexual assault. It is also affecting the availability of psychosocial support services and temporary emergency shelters.
“Partners on the ground report that with the resources available, some survivors have been able to access medical, psychosocial, and protection services such as safe spaces for women and girls,” OCHA said in a statement. “However, needs continue to far exceed current capacity.”
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations are calling for urgent international support to expand health services, protection programs, and psychosocial care, especially in communities most heavily affected by violence and instability.
The surge in gender-based violence comes amid a broader humanitarian emergency in Haiti, where escalating gang violence and insecurity continue to displace thousands of families.
OCHA estimates that approximately 1.45 million people are currently internally displaced across the country, while nearly 6 million Haitians — roughly half the population — are experiencing acute food insecurity.
