The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is intensifying its operations in Haiti as the country faces a worsening hunger crisis driven by ongoing violence and displacement.
The situation has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks, with more than 50,000 Haitians displaced over the past two weeks alone due to insecurity related to armed groups. Across the country, approximately 5.4 million people—nearly half the population—are facing acute hunger, one of the highest per capita rates of food insecurity globally.
Wanja Kaaria, WFP’s Country Director for Haiti, emphasized the agency’s commitment to supporting the Haitian people during this crisis. “WFP stands steadfast with the people of Haiti in this challenging moment,” said Kaaria from Port-au-Prince. “We have been delivering record amounts of food assistance to Haitians in Port-au-Prince and across the country these past few months and will do even more in the coming weeks.”
WFP teams, which have maintained operations throughout the crisis, continue to provide vital aid from their central office in Port-au-Prince and four additional field offices around the country.
The number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Haiti has surged to over 700,000, primarily concentrated in the capital and the Artibonite region. In response to the latest wave of displacement, WFP and its partners have significantly ramped up support, providing hot meals and cash assistance to those affected.
The agency is currently serving more than 50,000 IDPs daily—its largest daily assistance effort since the crisis began. In November, WFP and its partners distributed a record 834,000 hot meals across 48 displacement sites, including newly established shelters for those fleeing recent violence.
Recent food security data highlights the severity of the crisis. Nearly half of the Haitian population—approximately 5.4 million people—are facing acute hunger, with two million experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity. As many as 6,000 displaced individuals are currently in catastrophic conditions, with hunger levels categorized as IPC Phase 5, the highest possible classification for food insecurity.
Hunger in Haiti has been steadily increasing, with the prevalence of acute food insecurity rising from 35 percent in 2019 to 48 percent in 2024—the highest levels since the 2010 earthquake. The WFP is prioritizing efforts to address these escalating needs, particularly as the number of displaced individuals continues to climb.
In response to the growing needs, WFP is expanding its food assistance operations, with plans to reach 1.85 million individuals in the coming months. To fund these efforts, the agency requires $94 million for the next six months.
This year, WFP has already provided emergency assistance to 1.7 million people in Haiti, through a combination of food aid, school meals, social protection, and resilience-building activities. The agency is also prioritizing vulnerable groups, including families with pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under five, providing additional food to prevent malnutrition.
WFP’s school meal program continues to be a vital lifeline for over 470,000 children across Haiti. Most of these meals are prepared using locally grown ingredients, providing nutritional support to children while also supporting local agriculture.
Recently, WFP regained access to Croix-des-Bouquets, a northern suburb of Port-au-Prince previously off-limits to humanitarian workers due to violence. With this breakthrough, WFP has delivered food to 50,000 people in the area, as part of a larger distribution that is set to reach nearly 150,000 individuals across multiple neighborhoods.
Additionally, WFP’s United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has been instrumental in supporting relief efforts by providing vital passenger and light cargo services to nine destinations within Haiti, ensuring that humanitarian assistance can reach even the most remote areas.
