The United Nations is sounding the alarm over a dire shortfall in funding for humanitarian operations in Haiti, warning that the country’s most vulnerable—especially women and children—face escalating risks amid deepening insecurity and displacement.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters Monday that the 2025 Humanitarian Appeal and Response Plan for Haiti, which seeks US$908 million, is only eight per cent funded to date. With just US$75 million in hand, the UN says the response is gravely under-resourced.
“Our humanitarian colleagues are deeply concerned by the sharp rise in gender-based violence in the country,” Dujarric said during the daily press briefing. “More than 3,800 incidents of gender-based violence were reported between January and May of this year—most of them carried out by armed men.”
Dujarric noted a particularly troubling 41 per cent spike in cases between April and May alone, with the number of incidents rising from nearly 2,700 to over 3,800 in just one month. Women and girls made up the majority of survivors, and internally displaced persons accounted for over 60 per cent of the cases.
Rape remains the most commonly reported violation, Dujarric said, with nearly half of the reported incidents involving collective rape. Most assaults occurred either in victims’ homes or on the street, underscoring the relentless danger women face while carrying out routine tasks.
The Centre department of Haiti has seen the sharpest increase in such violence—more than 50 per cent since April—closely tied to the latest wave of forced displacement.
“Humanitarian partners are trying to provide referrals, medical aid, and psychosocial support services,” said Dujarric. “But protection services remain critically underfunded, and access to care is severely limited.”
The UN has called on donors to step up urgently, warning that without additional support, the situation will continue to spiral and the burden will fall hardest on those least able to bear it.
