As the Caribbean enters the hurricane season, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is raising serious concerns about Haiti’s deepening humanitarian crisis, warning that a single storm could trigger a catastrophe for millions already facing severe hunger.
With approximately 5.7 million Haitians—nearly half the population—experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity, the country is now among the five worst hunger crises globally. Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, Lola Castro, WFP’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, urged international attention and support following a recent visit to the country.
“Despite all the violence, displacement and collapse,” Castro said, “WFP remains in Haiti.”
More than one million people have been displaced due to escalating gang violence and insecurity, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The violence has severely disrupted food systems and supply chains, with Castro describing the situation as “quite dramatic.”
Displacement continues to grow, with approximately 14,000 people recently forced to flee the commune of Kenscoff. Once a bustling agricultural area where residents sold fresh produce, the community is now heavily reliant on food assistance. “Kenscoff is a commune where people used to come and sell their food,” Castro said. “The same people are now relying on food assistance after their houses were burned and their livelihoods destroyed.”
The impact on women and girls is particularly alarming. With 6,000 cases of gender-based violence reported so far this year, Castro described Port-au-Prince as “probably one of the most dangerous places in the world” for women and girls. “We need to provide them support to assure that they become less vulnerable and are not exposed to all this violence,” she added.
Compounding the crisis is a massive funding shortfall. Haiti’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan calls for over $908 million, yet only 8 percent of that total has been secured. WFP alone requires $46.4 million over the next six months to maintain its emergency operations and tackle the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.
With hurricane season running from June 1 through November, the stakes are higher than ever. Castro warned that “this year, we start the hurricane season with an empty warehouse.” In previous years, WFP had pre-positioned emergency supplies to assist hundreds of thousands after a storm. Now, without contingency stocks, logistical buffers, or emergency reserves, the agency has no ability to respond to a disaster.
“We cannot forget the people of Haiti,” Castro said, appealing to the international community for immediate humanitarian support.
