United Nations in Haiti

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action aimed at eradicating poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring peace and prosperity for all people. These are also the objectives of the UN in Haiti.

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Publication

20 April 2023

Cadre de Coopération des Nations Unies pour le Développement Durable 2023-2027

Le Cadre de Coopération des Nations Unies pour le Développement Durable représente l’engagement collectif de l’ONU en Haïti afin d’accompagner les efforts du pays dans la réalisation de l’Agenda 2030 pour le développement durable et assurer une mise en œuvre du Programme Commun des Nations Unies ainsi que le Nouvel Agenda pour la Paix. Le Cadre de Coopération des Nations Unies pour le Développement Durable est aligné sur les priorités du Plan Stratégique de Développement d’Haïti (PSDH) et sur la vision du Gouvernement visant à faire d’Haïti un pays émergent. Élaboré sur la base des principes de la réforme du Système des Nations Unies, ce Cadre de Coopération marque un nouvel élan dans le partenariat entre l’ONU et le Gouvernement pour la période 2023-2027. Il repose sur une vision partagée des défis et des opportunités du pays. Il s’aligne aussi sur les recommandations issues de l’Examen périodique universel (EPU) d’Haïti de 2022 et fait écho aux valeurs de justice, de liberté et de dignité portées par la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme.

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25 July 2022

Building a more resilient post-earthquake future in Haiti

A year after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, communities continue to rebuild their lives and be better prepared for future disasters. A line of women carry rocks in the hands and on their heads as they descend to a gully on the side of a hill in southern Haiti. They are bringing the rocks so their community can build barriers which will slow down the flow of water across this verdant valley and prevent the erosion of land that is important to this rural farming community. This is a team of women and men from vulnerable communities in one of three departments across Haiti’s southern peninsula which were hit by a destructive 7.2 magnitude earthquake on 14 August, 2021. More than 2,200 people died in the disaster and over 137,000 homes were destroyed or damaged alongside hospitals, schools and key transport infrastructure, including roads and bridges. Just down the valley, another team of around 36 people is working hard at clearing the road as part of a rehabilitation programme. They are being paid some 500 Haitian gourdes (around $5) for a 4-5 hour day and will spend 20 days working to improve their community. “The money I earn helps me to pay for food, school and other household needs,” says Tesse Medgune. “Many families lost their livelihood because of the earthquake so this helps us to survive.” The rehabilitation work on the side of the hill and valley road is supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) and is part of a Haitian government effort to improve the resilience of vulnerable people who are threatened by natural disasters. Many of these people are also receive support to improve food production activities and their nutrition. There are 16 similar teams in in this immediate area and many more across the southern peninsula of Haiti where the earthquake caused most damage. “The money people have earned is important in the short-term to get them through the difficult post-earthquake period,” says WFP’s Sophia Toussaint, ‘but it’s also crucial to their longer-term future. Protecting the hillside stops soil erosion and means farmers are less likely to lose their crops in a natural disaster; having a good road allows produce to be more easily sent to market” she adds. “It also means that aid can be delivered more effectively, and people can get to hospital if there is another earthquake.” Jerry Chandler is the Director General of Haiti’s Civil Protection agency. “We have worked closely with our international partners, including the UN to ensure that our disaster response is more robust. So, we are planning for the eventuality of another disaster happening but also ensuring that the impact is lessened.” A year on from the earthquake, the United Nations continues to support communities throughout the three most affected departments, Grand Anse, Nippes and Sud. Some 26,200 people fled their uninhabitable homes and the majority were accommodated in 85 temporary displacement sites. A majority have now returned home including Roslaine Jeantine and her three sons. The roof of her small home in the commune of Laurent just outside the city of Les Cayes, collapsed in the earthquake injuring the leg of her oldest son, however the walls remained in place. She was encouraged to return home with the support of a roof building kit provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “I sold my goat to pay for two carpenters to install my new roof,” says Roslaine Jeantine. “I still feel panicked when I hear a loud noise, thinking it could be another earthquake, but I know that this roof is well made and will protect me and my family from bad weather.” IOM has distributed around 100 kits in Laurent, which include everything a family needs to build a roof; wood, tin sheets, nails and more. In total, some 500 have been distributed across the earthquake-affected area to the most vulnerable families. “These roofs are important not just because they provide shelter,” says IOM’ s Jean Gardy Saint Juste “they also empower families to make their own decisions about how to repair their houses and thus rebuild their lives. In this sense they are creating their own resilience to future disasters with a little support from IOM.” As houses are rebuilt roof by roof and roads repaired stone by stone, UN agencies are currently still working in the three departments providing much needed services but also creating space for communities to make decisions about how best to protect themselves in the event of another earthquake. In 2022, WFP Haiti’s resilience programmes are supported by Switzerland, Canada, South Korea (KOICA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID/BHA).

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16 August 2022

First Person: Taking to the sea to deliver aid in Haiti

A shipping officer working for the World Food Programme in Haiti has been explaining why the delivery of humanitarian aid by ship is becoming increasingly critical. Captain Madeleine Habib, who is from Australia, spoke about her experiences ahead of World Humanitarian Day, which is marked annually on 19 August and the theme for which this year is “It takes a village.” “I am a Shipping Officer for the World Food Programme in Haiti. I manage the organization’s coastal shipping service to ensure the safe transit of essential humanitarian goods and assets to the northern and southern parts of the country. A maritime alternative is increasingly critical as gang control over the highways out of the capital continues to grow. This means that the Haitian population and humanitarian actors have limited freedom of movement in and out of the capital. The situation has a huge impact on the population's income and on the implementation of humanitarian and development projects that should support the community. This is especially true for the population of the southern peninsula of the country which is still suffering from the devastating impact of the August 2021 earthquake. One year after the disaster, I recognize that thousands of people, especially in the south, are still struggling to recover and are unable to rebuild their lives because the growing insecurity in Port-au-Prince has shattered their economic prospects. Farmers in the rural south are unable to get their produce to markets so their livelihoods are suffering. It takes a village and supply chain is an essential part of that village. We might not be on the frontline, but our network of trucks, ships and planes keeps essential humanitarian aid moving towards our beneficiaries. Our team continues to ensure the transportation of humanitarian aid to these vulnerable populations.”

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10 May 2023

Haiti: International support needed now to stop spiralling gang violence

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.

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Des personnes marchent dans le quartier de Turgeau, l'un des quartiers de la capitale haïtienne, Port-au-Prince, les plus touchés par la violence des gangs.

Story

14 April 2023

$720 million plan to support millions facing gangs, hunger and cholera

The 2023 funding appeal is the largest for the Caribbean country since the devastating 2010 earthquake and more than double the amount requested last year. The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) said the number of Haitians who require aid to survive doubled over the past five years to 5.2 million, and the aim is to reach 60 per cent, or 3.2 million people. 'A critical time' The full 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, which will be launched on 19 April, comes at “a critical time”, said Ulrika Richardson, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti. “With the situation in the country rapidly deteriorating, this year’s plan will address the most immediate humanitarian and protection needs while strengthening people’s and institution’s resilience to natural shocks,” she said. “At the same time, what the people of Haiti desperately want is peace and security, and we should all support efforts to that end.” Climate of fear A key driver of the crisis is gang violence, which continues to spread across the country, OCHA said. An estimated 80 per cent of the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is either under the control or the influence of gangs. “There is a constant climate of fear, especially in Port-au-Prince,” Ms. Richardson said. “Haitians put their lives at risk simply by trying to go to work, feed their families, or take their children to school.” Armed violence disproportionately impacts women and girls, but boys are also affected, OCHA reported. Rape, including gang rape, and other forms of sexual violence, is being used to terrorize the population, including children as young as age 10, the UN agency said. Meanwhile, many gangs also recruit children into their ranks.

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A woman in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, carries water she has bought from a local trader.

Story

26 December 2022

Mother immunizes daughter against cholera as she fears she could die

When cholera suddenly resurfaced early October in Haiti, mothers like Fabienne Francois feared for their lives and those of their children. The 24-year-old woman has only one child, Rebecca Maurice, and will do all she can to protect her from preventable diseases. “I am afraid of cholera because there are many issues in this disease. It can kill you. Many people have already told me that some people have died due to the disease. I don’t want to lose my life, or to lose my daughter because she’s the only child I’ve got,” she says. Fabienne arrived at the Cité Canada health centre in Turgeau, in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince to immunize her daughter against cholera. The day before, she met with a vaccination team right after Haiti launched her cholera vaccination campaign and received the oral vaccine dose. Cholera has killed 300 people in less than three months With the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Haiti received over 1,17 million oral cholera vaccine doses on 12 December and another 500,000 doses are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Men, women and children over one year old who live five communes in Ouest and one in the Centre departments where more than 50 confirmed cholera cases had been reported when Haiti placed its cholera vaccination request, are targeted by the vaccination campaign. The vaccination campaign is rolled-out to help curb the transmission of the disease. In less than three months, cholera claimed the lives of 300 people with over 1200 cases confirmed and nearly 15,000 suspect cases reported. Over 40 per cent of confirmed cases are reported among children under 14. So, Fabienne’s daughter aged nine is at risk. Life is tough in Haiti. Fabienne, like many other women, is impacted by gang related violence and recurrent social unrest that has brought economy to its knees. The single mother does not have job, and often relies on her parents to support her and her daughter. In her neighbourhood, people talk about the devastating effects of cholera, and Rebecca fully understands why she should be vaccinated. “My mother has brought me here to take the vaccine against cholera. I’ve heard that people are dying, and I don’t want to die because I don’t want to lose my mother, my mother, and my grandmother,” she says. Gang related violence could hamper cholera vaccination roll-out UNICEF supports the Ministry of Health to dispatch the oral cholera vaccine doses across. However, with gangs blocking national roads, transporting the vaccines, and deploying teams are daunting tasks. Most of the population targeted by this cholera vaccination campaign live in Cité Soleil or Port-au-Prince where recurrent clashes between armed gangs continue to cause casualties among women and children. “The deadly disease of cholera kills more and more people in Haiti. The oral vaccine can protect thousands of people from the disease. But vaccination teams cannot reach communities while bullets are flying, or they risk being kidnapped. Vaccinators put their lives at risk to save women’s and children’s lives while they must have broad access to do their job”, says Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. UNICEF contributes to the provision of fuel to keep the cold room and the national vaccine depot of West Department operational, equips more than half of the vaccination teams with vaccine carriers to maintain the cholera vaccines at the right temperature, and ensures incinerators and garbage bags available to manage biomedical waste and reduce the risks of contamination. Some 2,300 vaccination teams were deployed from 18 to 28 December to allow 97 per cent of the target communes’ population receive the cholera vaccine to protect them from the disease and remain alive and healthy. That’s exactly what Rebecca needs to unfold her full potential and achieve her dream. The little girl thinks for herself and even her mother does not really know what she dreams of. When she inferred that she’d become a lawyer in the future. “Lawyer? No way! I don’t want to be a lawyer,” she replied curtly.

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16 December 2022

There is no time to waste in responding to rising hunger in Haiti

Jean-Martin Bauer, Haiti country director for the UN World Food Programme "It’s difficult to believe that a mere two hours’ flight from Miami, a staggering 4.7 million people – half of Haiti’s population – are in the throes of a food crisis. In the Cité Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, 19,000 people are suffering in the ‘catastrophe’ level on the global scale for measuring food insecurity. In the 1980s, I used to visit Haiti on family trips; my mother fled to the US in the 1960s and I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The country was very poor then but able to feed itself. Now as I witness its struggle, coordinating the World Food Programme’s response, I cannot deny feeling affected on a deeply personal level. I speak Creole. I grew up eating djon djon rice and joumou soup. I’ve always been acutely aware of Haiti’s rich history. In the 1990s there was a series of coups and a trade embargo; people risked their lives to leave on boats. Free market policies ruined Haiti’s smallholder farmers and left the country heavily reliant on food imports. A succession of disasters followed, including the 2010 earthquake and cholera outbreak, hurricane Matthew in 2016, and the Southern earthquake of 2021. Things are now at a breaking point. This crisis will not pass – it needs renewed and robust humanitarian assistance. I am often asked why things are in fact so bad, so close to my family’s adopted home. I answer that Haiti is starving because gangs have taken control of ports and roads. This cut off communities from both the farms that feed them and from essential humanitarian aid. In the past year, food and fuel prices have skyrocketed. In September, protests and widespread looting erupted. Roadblocks brought the country to a standstill, what Haitians call a peyi lok (lockdown). The peyi lok that began on 12 September felt a lot like the ones that occurred worldwide during the early months of the Covid pandemic – except that people were now forced to stay home by fear and violence, rather than by a dangerous disease. Armed groups had seized the main fuel import terminal, blocking flows of diesel, the economy’s lifeblood. Humanitarians also came under attack; two of WFP’s warehouses were looted, depriving thousands of essential food assistance. For WFP staff, making it to the office meant navigating roadblocks and weathering threats. During the peyi lok, panic-buying broke out. Supermarkets shelves grew thinner as the days went by. I recently met a group of women in Cité Soleil as they waited for much-needed food from WFP. They said work is hard to come by, that they simply can’t afford to buy the food they need. They were drinking rainwater, they said. For dinner, they sometimes boil water and add salt because there’s simply nothing else to eat. As we talked, shots rang out and bullets flew overhead. Sadly, the people of Haiti have become conditioned to violence and hunger. Against this backdrop, WFP and its partners have provided food to over 1 million Haitians this year – including over 100,000 people since the lockdown. The only safe way to get in and out of Port-au-Prince is by air. The WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service has helped ferry vital cargo for the cholera response. But while emergency rations and airlifts will keep people alive, they won’t offer a future. Armed groups are no longer in control of the Varrreux fuel Terminal but still hold swathes of the city. Their stranglehold on Haitian society must stop. The UN sanctions that placed on those who support them are a step in the right direction. But humanitarian work in Haiti needs a change of tack. Above all, we must help Haitian farmers feed their own people. WFP is working with 75 farming cooperatives to provide meals to schoolchildren. Thanks to this programme, on any given school day, 100,000 children receive a locally-sourced school meal. But social unrest is keeping children away from schools and farmers from markets. The peyi lok must end, so that rebuilding Haiti’s shattered food systems can resume. What Haiti is experiencing now is not merely a bout of instability that will subside as part of some regular cycle the world is inured to. Haiti is experiencing a crisis on an unprecedented scale that can only worsen – unless we act fast and with greater urgency from us all." Learn more about WFP's work in Haiti

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19 December 2022

Outpatient health care gets SMART

The inauguration of a new modernized and fully functional ambulatory emergency room at the Hôpital Universitaire de la Paix (HUP) took place this Thursday, December 15, 2022, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Dr Ariel Henry, the Minister of Health, Dr. Alex Larsen, the Director of the Department of Health Emergencies of PAHO, Dr. Ciro Ugarte and the Representative of PAHO/WHO in Haiti, Dr. Maureen Birmingham. The building, part of PAHO/WHO's SMART Hospital initiative was conceptualized in 2019 to address the Ministry of Health and Population's (MSPP) need for a more resilient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly health care infrastructure to provide timely post-disaster care and reduce disaster losses in the future. “This new facility will help us bring emergency services as close as possible to the population" explained Dr. Alex Larsen, Haiti’s Minister of Health in his inauguration remarks. The new ambulatory emergency room was designed to withstand the natural hazards common in Haiti, including hurricanes and earthquakes. Non-structural, mechanical and electrical services are designed to meet international safety standards. The complex is equipped with solar power and rainwater storage capabilities to maintain operations in the event of a national shortage or blackout. "PAHO’s support to the Ministry will continue. Beyond our technical assistance to the realization of this structure, we will accompany staff capacity building activities and assist its day-to-day operation with the procurement of medical product and equipment.” said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, director of PAHO's Department of Health Emergencies. “We are dedicated to ensure this service can save lives." The 13-bed inpatient facility is equipped with all the medical equipment necessary to provide emergency care services, including a mobile X-ray machine, sterilizers, bedside cardiac monitors, as well as a laboratory, pharmacy, sterilization, sutures and casts rooms. "It is important to mention the challenge that the realization of this project represented. Despite a country-wide blockade COVID 19, socio-political crises, despite the insecurity, the lack of fuel, despite cholera, this project was able to see the day.” declared Dr. Maureen Birmingham, PAHO/WHO representative in Haiti «I want to pay tribute to the will and persistence of the authorities and the generosity of our partners" said Built with the financial support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of the United States of America, as well as an equipment contribution from UNOPS, HUP's ambulatory emergency room is the first project of its kind in Haiti. PAHO/WHO's SMART Hospital initiative has already been successfully implemented in the Caribbean region, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize.

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Press Release

20 April 2023

The United Nations system and the Government of Haiti sign a Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development

Port-au-Prince, Haiti.- The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, and the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Mr. Ricard Pierre, signed today, the Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development for the period 2023-2027. This new Framework Plan outlines a common vision and strategy for achieving sustainable development over the next five years. It represents a major step in the partnership between the United Nations and the Government of Haiti. This joint strategy comes at a time when the country is facing the consequences of successive economic recessions, with an unprecedented level of insecurity due to gang violence and more than 5.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. Every day, more and more people are falling into extreme poverty. This new Cooperation Framework sets out a comprehensive and integrated approach for the long term. It focuses on five priority areas, which were defined through a consultative process with national, public and private partners, as well as academia and civil society It is a joint roadmap, aligned with national priorities and strategies, and designed to improve the coherence, effectiveness and efficiency of UN support to the Government. Priority areas of work include governance, security and rule of law, inclusive economic transformation, social services and the environment. A results-based management framework will make it possible to monitor progress and measure the impact of interventions and investments. In her remarks, Ulrika Richardson stressed that the signing of the document marks a new milestone in the common story between Haiti and the United Nations. While commending the Government for its commitment to sustainable development, and for its collaboration with the UN, she also affirmed the UN's commitment to strengthening common approaches based on mutual support between peace, security and sustainable development. The signing of the Cooperation Framework coincides with the launch of a humanitarian response plan for Haiti in 2023, launched yesterday, April 19, by the United Nations and estimated at $720 million. The response plan calls for helping 3.2 million people facing gang violence, hunger and cholera, among other things. "As the situation in the country rapidly deteriorates, the plan will address the most immediate humanitarian and protection needs," said Ulrika Richardson. Adding, "The Haitian people desperately want peace and security, and we should all support efforts to achieve this."

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Press Release

13 December 2022

Haiti receives first shipment of cholera vaccines

The vaccine (Euvichol) was provided by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (IGC), which manages the global cholera vaccine stockpile, following a request by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP, its acronym in French). Haiti’s vaccination campaign is set to start in the next days, initially targeting populations over the age of one year in Cite Soleil, Delmas, Tabarre, Carrefour and Port-au-Prince in the Ouest Department and Mirebalais in the Centre Department – areas in which most of the cholera cases have been reported, to date. “Haiti has experience in managing cholera, but the fragile security situation has slowed down response efforts, so the arrival of these vaccines is most welcome,” PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne said. “PAHO has been working with Haiti since the resurgence of cholera and will continue to support the national authorities to quickly distribute vaccines, monitor cases and provide life-saving care.” The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of the oral vaccine in combination with other measures – particularly water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions – to prevent the spread of the water-borne disease. PAHO is providing technical and financial assistance to the MSPP to implement the vaccination campaign, including training of health workers, guidance to identify priority communities and potential barriers, deployment of record management tools and risk communication and community engagement activities to encourage vaccine uptake. “The arrival of oral vaccines in Haiti is a step in the right direction,” MSPP Director General Lauré Adrien said. “We are integrating this tool into our national strategy, which includes surveillance, water and sanitation interventions, social mobilization, and treatment.” “We hope this first shipment will be followed by others so that the vaccine is available to all populations at risk in Haiti,” Adrien added. An additional batch of around 500,000 doses is expected to arrive in Haiti in the coming weeks. Cholera has spread geographically within Haiti in the past weeks. As of today, the National Department of Epidemiology, Laboratories, and Research (DELR) reports 1,220 confirmed cases and over 280 deaths due to cholera in eight departments, with over 14,100 suspected cases spread across all 10 departments in the country. “PAHO has been working closely with the MSPP to scale up critical operations to treat and prevent cholera,” said Maureen Birmingham, PAHO/WHO Representative in Haiti. “Vaccination is one additional strategy to help slow down transmission,” she added. PAHO has so far provided over 49 tons of essential medical supplies to support Cholera Treatment Centers set up by national authorities and partners in the most affected areas. Materials include oral rehydration salts, Ringer’s Lactate solution and infusion sets, cholera beds, as well as non-medical supplies such as fuel to support operations and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) supplies. PAHO is also assisting the Government in setting up rapid response teams throughout the country to follow-up on alerts, raise awareness about preventive measures within communities, and address WASH issues.

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Press Release

08 December 2022

Haiti: UNICEF needs US$210 million to bring humanitarian aid to 2.7 million people next year

PORT-AU-PRINCE / PANAMA CITY, 7 December 2022 - UNICEF is requesting US$210.3 million to meet the needs of 2.7 million people in Haiti, including 1.6 million children in 2023. The upsurge in violence and social unrest, the resurgence of cholera and the residual needs of the most vulnerable earthquake-affected population have led to an increase in humanitarian needs and funding requirements compared with 2022. “When a mother sees her malnourished child suffer from cholera, have diarrhoea, vomit, further lose weight and is on the brink of dying, and she cannot take them to the hospital because of insecurity, it’s sad. In Haiti, one in two children has not resumed going to school again, and risk falling in the trap of gangs, and due to violence, health workers or teachers cannot freely report to work, further obstructing women and children’s access to health, nutrition, education, and sanitation services,” said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. After more than 3 years without any cases of cholera reported, Haiti declared on 2 October the resurgence of the disease. As of 5 December, the country passed the milestone of first 1,000 confirmed cholera cases. The Ministry of health reported more than 1,100 confirmed cases with over 13,400 suspected cases and 281 deaths. Nearly 50 per cent of confirmed cases are among children under 15 years old. The cholera outbreak is layered over gang-related violence and major social unrest that erupted across the country. At the same time, severe fuel shortages restricted utilities and the delivery of basic services, including water and health care. In some areas, insecurity prevents patients to access medical facilities and health personnel to report to work, heavily impacting the response to the cholera outbreak, including data collection and transportation of test samples and results. Violent protests that had been building since mid-2021 due to gang violence and the killing of the President have directly affected access to health services for at least 1.5 million people, while more than 4 million children continue experiencing malnutrition and poor access to basic services. At least 96,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti due to gang violence and civil unrest, with unaccompanied children exposed to abuse, exploitation and violence. A nutrition assessment in Cité Soleil, an impoverished neighbourhood in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, revealed that one in five children under the age of five suffers from acute malnutrition, while 4.7 million people in Haiti are facing acute hunger. Tremendous efforts are made by the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), but 47 per cent of schools have not yet opened. In 2022, three in five schools assessed by UNICEF and MENFP have been attacked or pillaged, leaving half a million children aged 5-19 years at risk of losing learning opportunities. In 2023, UNICEF will provide life-saving goods and services to children and vulnerable populations in the context of insecurity, health and social and economic crises in Haiti, provided that sufficient and timely funding of US$210.3 million requested is received. About UNICEF UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit https://www.unicef.org/Haiti. For more information, please contact: Ndiaga Seck, UNICEF Haiti, +509 37 44 61 99, nseck@unicef.org Laurent Duvillier, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, + 507 6169 9886, lduvillier@unicef.org

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Press Release

30 November 2022

Address inequalities to achieve the end of the AIDS pandemic in Haiti

Speaking ahead of World AIDS Day 2022, commemorated around the world annually on 1 December, Ulrika Richardson, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said: “The inequalities which perpetuate the AIDS pandemic are not inevitable; we can tackle them. Ultimately, the end of AIDS can only be achieved if we address social and economic injustices.” World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people to come together to show solidarity towards people living with and affected by HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Equalize”, a call to action to maintain financial support to the response and to prioritize the health and well-being of all people, especially vulnerable populations that are most affected by HIV-related inequalities. Analysis presented in the latest UNAIDS report, “Dangerous Inequalities”, shows that inequalities, are hindering progress towards meeting meet globally agreed targets to end AIDS. In Haiti, the 1 December commemoration is being led by the Ministry of Public Health and Population and accompanied by UNAIDS as well as national and international partners. The event focuses on the need to further adapt the national response to the unmet needs of key populations, in particular the LGBTQI community, including the elimination of persistent and viscous stigma and discrimination. Gender inequalities are significantly contributing to the AIDS pandemic in Haiti. Women and girls have a higher prevalence of HIV (2.2 per cent) compared to men (1.4 per cent). The increased vulnerability of women and girls to sexual violence also perpetuated by gangs especially throughout the capital Port-au-Prince in 2022, needs to be urgently addressed as part of the response. “Mitigating the risks and impact of HIV requires continued efforts for a community response with women and girls, men and boys, in all their diversity, who practice equitable social norms and gender equality and work to end gender-based violence...Let's Push for Equality”, said Dr. Christian Mouala, UNAIDS Country Director. NOTE TO EDITORS: In close collaboration with the National Programme on HIV/AIDS (PNLS), the United Nations Joint Programme of HIV/AIDS in Haiti is supporting the national response, complementing activities implemented via GFATM and PEPFAR investments and working towards internationally agreed targets encapsulated in the 2021-2026 Global AIDS Strategy. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is a joint venture of the United Nations family which brings together the efforts and resources of 11 UN system organizations to unite the world against AIDS. The participating organizations that form UNAIDS, also called the UNAIDS Cosponsors, are: ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UN Women, WHO, World Bank, World Food Programme. For more information contact: Daniel Dickinson, Office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator dickinsond@un.org Paola Solda, UNAIDS Country Office Haiti soldap@unaids.org

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Press Release

23 November 2022

Haiti: Children account for 2 in 5 cholera cases

Nearly two months into the cholera outbreak in Haiti, UNICEF is warning that approximately 40 per cent of the growing number of confirmed cases are among children. Since the onset of the cholera outbreak, 9 in 10 confirmed cholera cases in Haiti have been reported in areas most affected by the deepening nutrition crisis in the country. Children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, also known as severe wasting, are more vulnerable to cholera and at least three times more at risk of dying from the disease. “In Haiti right now, there is a triple threat to children’s lives –malnutrition, cholera and armed violence. And sometimes all three together,” said Manuel Fontaine, Director of the Office of Emergency Programmes, as he concluded a four-day visit to Haiti. “I was shocked to see many children at risk of dying in the cholera treatment centres. In just a few hours, acute watery diarrhoea and vomiting dehydrate and weaken them so much they may die without timely and adequate treatment. Cholera and malnutrition are a lethal combination, one leading to the other.” During his visit, Fontaine visited UNICEF-supported cholera treatment centres in Cite Soleil and Port-au-Prince, where malnourished children receive life-saving care. He also went to a centre which provides medical, psychological, and psychosocial care to survivors of gender-based violence. As of 21 November, the Ministry of Health reported 924 confirmed cholera cases, over 10,600 suspected cases, and 188 deaths.“In Haiti, the vicious cycle between malnutrition and cholera can be broken. Simple, affordable and effective treatment can save Haitian children’s lives, as long as we reach the most vulnerable families before it’s too late. But the urban-poor areas most affected by the cholera outbreak are also under the control of heavily armed gangs. Amid widespread armed violence and insecurity in large parts of the capital, humanitarian teams are walking on eggshells,” added Fontaine. From July to date, UNICEF and its partners screened and assessed the nutritional status of nearly 6,200 children in the commune of Cité Soleil, the largest urban-poor area in the capital city. In total, about 2,500 under-five children suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition received quality treatment. Amid an extremely insecure and volatile environment, UNICEF has stepped up efforts to respond to cholera in coordination with the national authorities and partners by delivering: 245 cholera kits and 32,940 ringer lactate sachets, 313,000 oral rehydration salts sachets, zinc, antibiotics, consumables and PPE material to health departments; 135,000 water purifying tablets in a partner hospital in Cite Soleil; 468,160 liters of water distributed by water trucking to 22,290 persons currently living in or displaced from Cite Soleil; 300,000 sachets of ready-to-use therapeutic food were made available; Medical and hygiene supplies to hold mobile health clinics in Cite Soleil while informing over 51,000 households on cholera prevention; Cholera prevention spots aired by radio and TV stations and leaflets distributed to reduce cholera transmission. To step up its efforts to respond to the cholera outbreak in the next five months, UNICEF is appealing for US$27.5 million to provide humanitarian assistance in health, water, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition and protection for 1.4 million people. Media Contact: Ndiaga Seck ,Chef de la Communication, UNICEF nseck@unicef.org

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