PORT-AU-PRINCE – The heads of UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) ended missions to Haiti today, calling for far more support for highly vulnerable children and families who face rampant violence, deadly natural disasters, and a resurgence of cholera. “Haiti’s hunger crisis is unseen, unheard, and unaddressed. Violence and climate shocks capture the headlines, but we don’t hear as much about the 4.9 million Haitians struggling to eat day-to-day,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “Per capita, the proportion of Haitians facing emergency-level food insecurity is the second highest in the world – we cannot abandon them.” “Humanitarian needs are even greater today than after the devastating 2010 earthquake, but with far less resources to respond,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “I have seen and heard how Haitian children and families are overcoming insurmountable challenges, and they are not giving up. In the country’s hour of most profound need, neither should the international community.” Overall, 5.2 million people require urgent humanitarian support, including nearly 3 million children. Some 4.9 million people are struggling to feed themselves, and over 115,000 children below five years old are projected to suffer from life-threatening malnutrition this year, a 30 per cent spike since last year. The healthcare system is near collapse, schools have been attacked by armed groups and civilians are being terrorized and deprived of livelihoods. In the capital’s most dangerous neighbourhoods, women and children are suffering staggering levels of sexual violence. Deadly floods and an earthquake in June were stark reminders of Haiti’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. Russell and McCain held talks with Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other government officials and visited a UNICEF and WFP-supported school. In the city of Jérémie, McCain met farmers and food processors who provide Haitian-grown food for schools and interacted with people who receive monthly cash-based transfers under a social safety net programme. She also visited a food preparation centre in Port-au-Prince, where WFP and its partner provide hot meals which are transported daily to schools in areas affected by armed violence in Cité Soleil. Russell, who was recently named Principal Advocate for Haiti for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, a collective body of senior humanitarian leaders, visited a site for families displaced from their homes due to the violence, where UNICEF supports a mobile health clinic. She also spoke privately to children and women survivors of sexual violence perpetrated by the armed groups, and a nutrition centre where severely wasted children receive life-saving therapeutic care with UNICEF support. Despite the magnitude of needs, only 23 percent of the US$720 million required for the 2023 UN response has been funded. WFP needs US$330 million to reach its goal of assisting 2.3 million people in 2023, while UNICEF is appealing for US$246 million to reach 1.7 million children this year. Russell and McCain called for timely and flexible funding that can quickly be directed to where needs are the most urgent. “Haiti will never be at peace when almost half the population is hungry. With peace comes the hope for a good plate of food on the table and a better future,” the WFP Executive Director said. “We cannot wait for Haitians to die from hunger before acting, we need to fund the future of Haiti, today.” Russell underscored the urgency of a more robust humanitarian response for those in most urgent need, the restoration of basic services and longer-term development solutions. The private and public sectors and International Financial Institutions must step up their support to Haiti with a renewed sense of urgency, she said. “People in Haiti are in perpetual survival mode, with no safety net whatsoever,” said Russell. “The international community can help put in place the basic requirements Haitian families tell us they need such as health, education, social and protection services. Above all, what they told me is that they desperately need an end to the violence and insecurity.”   NOTE TO EDITORS: UNICEF RESPONSE: UNICEF and partners intend to reach all 115,000 children projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year with life-saving treatment. UNICEF is the sole provider of the ready-to-use therapeutic food, which is procured from a local supplier. We work with the Ministry of Health to strengthen supply chain systems, and with communities to strengthen the first line of defence from malnutrition – the mothers and community health workers who are best placed to screen children and refer those in need of treatment. In areas where access is a challenge, we are sending in mobile clinics to deliver an integrated package of health and nutrition services. UNICEF and partners have reached tens of thousands of children and families with healthcare, safe water, sanitation, and education support. We are working to help keep systems afloat, including by retaining newly graduated teachers and community healthcare workers to strengthen systems that children rely on. Our work is focused specifically on reaching the most vulnerable – and often the hardest to reach, children and families. WFP RESPONSE: WFP’s focus remains on supporting the Haitian food economy by buying directly from farmers and through large-scale cash transfers, which stimulates local markets and empowers people to make their own purchasing decisions.  Meanwhile, WFP continues to deliver of life-saving food to the most vulnerable people, especially in areas of extreme violence. So far this year, WFP has assisted 1.4 million people in Haiti with over US$31 million in cash-based transfers and more than 5.5 MT of food commodities. Over 217,000 hot meals have been distributed in IDP sites, cholera treatment centres and at border crossings. WFP’s school meal programme provides 450,000 children with hot school meals. Nearly half of all food purchased for school meals is grown in Haiti. Principal Advocate on Haiti for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee UNICEF Executive Director Russell is the Principal Advocate on Haiti for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, a collective body of senior humanitarian leaders.  As Principal Advocate for Haiti at the request of the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, Russell will help lead the international humanitarian community’s effort to galvanize attention, support and resources at a moment of unprecedented need in the country.  She will be engaging with Haitian civil society, government and international partners to help expand access for safe, dignified, and predictable humanitarian assistance and protection for children and their families and create a pathway for new solutions.   CONTACT For more information please contact Tanya Birkbeck, WFP/ Haiti, Tel. +509 3735 4333 George Fominyen, WFP/ Rome, Mob. +39 3499336721 Shaza Moghraby, WFP/New York, Mob. + 1 929 289 9867 Steve Taravella, WFP/ Washington, Mob.  +1 202 770 5993 Gessika Thomas, UNICEF/ Haiti, Tel: +509 37 51 2825, gethomas@unicef.org Marixie Mercado, UNICEF/ Geneva, Tel: +41 79 559 7172, mmercado@unicef.org Ricardo Pires, UNICEF/ New York, Tel: +1 917 631 1226, rpires@unicef.org   This article first appeared in WFP.

Words are not enough to alleviate the multiple crises afflicting Haiti, said the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Friday, in an appeal for urgent international action. Lachezara Stoeva was addressing a special crisis meeting on Haiti organized by ECOSOC to address the country’s urgent food security needs and noted that the humanitarian response plan for this year is only 22.6 per cent funded. Wake-up call “This plan targets 3.2 million Haitian people whereas around 5.2 million Haitian people are in need. This should be our wake-up call”, she told the group of Prime Ministers, UN aid chiefs, civil society and other stakeholders gathered at UN Headquarters in New York. During the high-level meeting, both the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced they would be travelling to Haiti in the next few days to highlight the depth of the crisis there. The recent earthquake, flooding and landslides, have exacerbated political and economic turmoil combined with rampant insecurity and violence perpetrated by armed gangs – all of which has triggered a food and health crisis for millions. “We must learn the lessons of our past efforts in Haiti. A whole-of-society approach that engages the Haitian people would be key to building resilient food systems”, she said, calling for bold thinking combined with immediate action. ‘Alarming’ descent Bob Rae, Chair of the ECOSOC Advisory Group on Haiti said the crisis was continuing to deteriorate “at an alarming rate.” Humanitarian needs have doubled in the last year.  Now 1.8 million Haitians are facing emergency levels of food insecurity and nearly five million do not have enough to eat. “This represents half of the country’s population”, he added. UNICEF delivering: Russell UNICEF chief Catherine Russell warned that the country was “on the precipice of catastrophe.” She reminded the meeting the agency had worked in Haiti for decades and remained deeply committed to supporting all children there. “Alongside our partners, we are engaging with community leaders and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate the safe movement of humanitarian workers and supplies”, she said. “We are also expanding our response in health, nutrition, protection, education, water, sanitation and hygiene. So far this year, we have screened more than 243,000 children under five for wasting, helped nearly 70,000 women and children access healthcare, provided more over 417,000 people with safe water and reached 30,000 children with learning materials.” Action is now long overdue, she said, announcing her intention to go to Haiti “in the coming days” to assess the collective response and “reiterate UNICEF’s commitment to helping the Haitian people.” Investments and action are sorely needed for Haiti, she said. “Let’s work together to make sure this happens. Together we can join with the Haitian people to break through the cycle of crises and begin building towards a more peaceful and hopeful future.” Welcome focus on ‘forgotten crisis’: McCain WFP chief Cindy McCain, said she would be on the ground next week, “so I welcome your focus on this forgotten crisis.” The situation is dire and getting worse every day, she added. “Hunger has reached record levels. 4.9 million people – almost half of the population – are acutely food insecure. This includes 1.8 million people who are at serious risk of starvation.” She said that “a coordinated and well-funded humanitarian response must be part of the broader strategy to restore security and political stability in Haiti.” Despite the challenges, WFP has stayed and delivered, with support for 1.8 million people and the aim of reaching 2.3 million through this year, having already supported 1.4 million with lifesaving food and livelihood support so far. “But we urgently need the support of the international community. Without additional funds, we will not be able to reach all those we are targeting for help”, Ms. McCain stressed. “Ladies and gentlemen: we must act now, and work together to get food and cash transfers to the millions of people who are relying on us. Together we can make a difference - and help the people of Haiti rebuild their shattered lives.” Build local food resilience The UN’s Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, told the special meeting that the UN was working hand-in-hand with the Government, together with local and international partners, to make food systems more resilient. This includes a recent national policy and strategy for food security and independence, and it must not be forgotten how the impact of climate change and climate risks are jeopardizing food supplies. The UN in Haiti is promoting local production and boosting local farming, through measures such as basing school food programmes on locally produced crops. By 2030, she said all food programmes should be entirely locally sourced. “Addressing root causes of instability and restoring social and economic wellbeing in Haiti can be achieved through promoting food sovereignty, recalibrating agrifood policies, fostering stakeholder consensus and leveraging international support.” This article first appeared in UN News.

The UN expressed deep sadness as another deadly earthquake claimed the lives of at least three people near the Haitian city of Jerémie in the early hours of Tuesday, compounding an already life-threatening situation in recent days caused by flooding and landslides. The 5.5 magnitude quake struck in the department of Grand’Anse, following torrential rains which have displaced more than 13,000 people. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life, destruction of property and suffering of the Haitian people caused by the earthquake”, said UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric. “The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.” More aid en route He said the UN stood ready to work with the Haitian authorities and other partners, to help ease the suffering of those impacted by this latest natural disaster. On Monday, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that it was already providing immediate assistance to those affected by the massive rainfall over the weekend, providing hot meals to those displaced, and mobilizing ready-to-eat rations and dry food. Mr. Dujarric said that Grand’ Anse was among the areas impacted by the rains, prior to the earthquake. According to news reports, Tuesday’s quake was the second to strike the area in just two days, with a 4.4 magnitude tremor registered on Sunday morning. In August 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the same southern peninsula region, leaving hundreds dead. Resources for flood victims The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, is working with UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, WFP and the International Organization for Migration, IOM, to support communities around the capital Port-au-Prince that were hardest hit by the floods and landslides, he added. WFP is ready to distribute some 350,000 hot meals and other food assistance overall, to those who need it the most, he confirmed. “Our colleagues say that ongoing insecurity and damage to roads are obviously hampering any relief efforts.” According to UN humanitarians, the floods and landslides affected seven of Haiti’s 10 departments, and authorities say at least 51 people have been killed, 140 others injured and 18 are still missing. In the affected areas, nearly 32,000 homes were flooded. This article first appeared in UN News.  

Haiti needs “urgent” support from the international community to stop the suffering of people at the hands of violent gangs who have been shooting people at random and burning them alive, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on Tuesday. In the month of April alone, more than 600 people were killed in violence in the country’s capital, according to information gathered by the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). This follows the killing of at least 846 people in the first three months of 2023. BINUH said that overall, the number of victims of killings, injuries and kidnappings increased by 28 per cent in the first quarter of the year, with a total of 1,634 cases reported. Rise in vigilantism Mob killings and lynchings of alleged gang members are also on the rise, as “vigilantes take the law into their own hands”, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said. At least 164 such murders were documented in April. The latest report from OHCHR and BINUH points to the emergence of vigilante groups, “following calls by some political figures and journalists for citizens to form self-defence organizations to fight gang violence”. Commenting on the findings, the UN rights chief stressed that vigilantism will only “fuel the spiral of violence”. Extreme violence The report notes that gangs use snipers on rooftops to “indiscriminately shoot people carrying out their daily activities”. In some instances, gang members burst into neighbourhoods on a killing spree, “burned people alive in public transportation vehicles” and executed “everyone perceived to be opposed to the gang”. The report also documents the use of sexual violence, including collective rape, “to terrorize and inflict pain” on populations under the control of rival gangs. According to a local human rights organization quoted in the report, at least 652 women and girls were “subjected to individual and collective rape in gang-controlled areas over the past year”. Root causes of a ‘human rights emergency’ The UN rights chief underscored that poverty and the lack of basic services were among the root causes of the gangs’ stranglehold over the country. Earlier this year, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) had warned that half the population of Haiti, or some 4.9 million people, were struggling to access food. “The Government, with support from the international community, must do its utmost to comply with its obligation to provide people with regular and unimpeded access to clean water, food, health and shelter,” Mr. Türk said. He said a “robust response” was needed to what he billed as a “human rights emergency”. ‘Coordinated international action’ required Mr. Türk reiterated his call on the international community to “deploy a time-bound, specialized and human rights-compliant support force, with a comprehensive action plan to assist Haiti's institutions”. Last month, the country was on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, which adopted a resolution calling for the appointment of an independent rights expert on Haiti. Sponsored by Haiti itself, the resolution called for “coordinated and targeted international action”. In line with the resolution, the duties of the new independent expert on human rights in Haiti, William O’Neill, include focusing on the situation of children and of human trafficking and providing advice and technical assistance to the Haitian Government, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations to help promote and protect human rights. Independent rights experts appointed by the United Nations rights chief in accordance with Human Rights Council resolutions are not UN staff nor are they paid for their work. This article first appeared in UN News.