The Deterioration of Haiti’s Humanitarian Crisis

The indiscriminate violence of armed groups and the near collapse of basic services have plunged Haiti into a humanitarian crisis unprecedented since 2010

There are fears that the epicentre of the current humanitarian crisis will gradually shift to an increasing number of areas previously spared by the insecurity in the Haitian nation

UN Report:

Years of underfunding of humanitarian aid and increasing needs have put millions of Haitians at risk of chronic vulnerability, according to a newly released UN report.

Reversing the situation will require the international community and donors to increase the funding of UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) relief operations, the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said in its latest advocacy note.

Growing hunger and needs

Months of violence have led to a deterioration of Haiti’s humanitarian crisis.  Displacement has tripled in the last year in Haiti as gang violence continues to rock the Caribbean-island nation, with nearly 600,000 people on the run.

“The indiscriminate violence of armed groups and the near collapse of basic services have plunged Haiti into a humanitarian crisis unprecedented since 2010,” OCHA reported, referring to the devasting earthquake that struck the nation 14 years ago.

Following the spiralling security situation in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and Artibonite in the north in February, the number of displaced persons has soared by 60 per cent, the report showed, using the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) data tracking matrix for Haiti.

Collapsing basic services

The violence continues to target civilian infrastructure, with only 24 per cent of hospitals remaining operational, OCHA reported.  The insecurity has also left 1.5 million children shut out of classrooms.

Half of the 578,000 displaced people, desperately fleeing the capital in search of safety, had made their way south, where the vast majority are staying with already economically vulnerable host families.

However, basic social services, such as education, health and water, hygiene and sanitation, already insufficient to meet the needs of the local population, have been severely strained, OCHA reported.

Forced deportations

Meanwhile, forced repatriations of Haitians from countries in the region is continuing.  Indeed, deportations of Haitian nationals even increased, particularly from April onwards, when incidents of violence were at their peak, OCHA reported.  In the first seven months of the year, nearly 100,000 people were deported from countries in the region to Haiti, according to data from IOM.

‘Wave of violence’

The violent clashes between gangs and the authorities have also persisted, even as the multinational security support mission arrived in late June to help Haitian police address the ongoing crisis.

“This wave of violence continues to have humanitarian consequences on the populations of the affected neighbourhoods and localities, but also in areas far from the capital which have become host lands for hundreds of thousands of people,” OCHA stated in the report.

Almost 300,000 malnutrition cases have been documented, and five million people, about 50 per cent of Haiti’s population, face heightened food insecurity, according to a report earlier this year by a global monitoring group, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Fears the crisis will spread

There are fears that the epicentre of the current humanitarian crisis will gradually shift to an increasing number of areas previously spared by insecurity, according to OCHA.

At the same time, the current hurricane season is expected to be active and could cause an additional shockwave on the daily lives of Haitians.

Haiti is bracing for between four and seven major storms in the months to come.

Calls to fill funding gaps

Additional financial resources are urgently needed to meet the increased needs of the Haitian population affected by this multidimensional crisis, OCHA said in its report.

Without additional funds, OCHA fears that these crises will continue.

Humanitarian concerns abound that food insecurity will continue to spread, hundreds of thousands of out-of-school children will face the risk of recruitment by armed groups and experience “lost years”, growing up without the skills needed for their future and survival, and that half a million vulnerable children and victims of protection incidents will be deprived of mental health services and psychosocial support, according to OCHA.

“While humanitarian assistance is a lifeline for many, it is only part of the solution,” the UN agency said.

“The government, political and development actors must work together to find lasting solutions to Haiti’s structural challenges,” OCHA said, echoing a call made last month by a joint UN-European Union mission to the country.

Eight months into the year, Haiti’s 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan is 33 per cent funded, having received $162.5 million out of $674 million.

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The Deepening Human Rights Catastrophe in Haiti

Gang violence is affecting all communes in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, as gang members continue to clash for control of territory and have escalated their activities in areas outside the capital

- Haitian lives depend on the deployment, with no further delay, of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS), to support the National Police and bring security to the Haitian population, under conditions that comply with international human rights norms and standards -

From UN News

GENEVA (9 February 2024) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday issued an urgent warning about the deepening human rights catastrophe in Haiti, after figures showed that January was the most violent month in more than two years.

“The already dire human rights situation has deteriorated even further, amid unrelenting and expanding gang violence, with disastrous consequences for Haitians,” said Türk.

At least 806 people, not involved in the violent exchanges taking place, were killed, injured, or kidnapped in January 2024.  In addition, some 300 gang members were killed or injured, bringing the total number of people affected to 1,108 – more than three times the number recorded in January 2023.

Gang violence is affecting all communes in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, as gang members continue to clash for control of territory and have escalated their activities in areas outside the capital. The intensity of clashes which, in some cases, have lasted several hours, may indicate that some gangs have recently received new ammunition.

People in areas controlled by gangs have been targeted directly.  Gangs also continue to use sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon, and spread fear by sharing on local social media gruesome photos and videos of killed individuals and women being raped.

The impact of this torrent of violence on children continues to be of particular concern.  In 2023, 167 children were killed and injured by bullets.  Some were executed by gangs or so-called “self-defence” groups for their suspected support for rivals.  The recruitment of children into gangs remained extremely worrisome.

In this context of widespread violence, in recent weeks there have been anti-government street protests and civil unrest, supported by opposition political parties, in at least 24 towns across the country, including the capital. Schools, public services, and local businesses have been forced to close.

Recently, armed elements have emerged, including some members of the so-called “Protected Areas Security Brigade” (in French, Brigade de Sécurité des Aires Protégées or BSAP), an informal entity established several years ago by a body in charge of environmental issues.

While some protests have turned violent, with public and private buildings ransacked, there are also persistent concerns about the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement.

Between 20 January and 7 February, at least 16 people were killed and 29 injured mainly in the context of confrontations between protesters and police.

Police officers must always abide by the principles of lawfulness, necessity and proportionality when managing protests, in accordance with human rights norms and standards, and protesters must express their grievances peacefully, the UN Human Rights Chief noted.

“Every day that passes, more casualties are being recorded.  Now, more than ever, Haitian lives depend on the deployment, with no further delay, of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS), to support the National Police and bring security to the Haitian population, under conditions that comply with international human rights norms and standards,” he said.

In addition to the need to improve the security situation, it is also essential to note the impact of this new wave of violence on Haiti’s economy, and spreading food insecurity.  High inflation due to extortion and road blockades have left millions of Haitians deprived of basic commodities.  More than 313,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.  Many have sought refuge in crammed and unsanitary sites, which affects their ability to access health and education services.

“As I have said time and again, while improvement of the security situation is the prerequisite to breaking the cycle of crises in Haiti, long-term stability will only be achieved through tackling the root causes of poverty, social and economic discrimination and corruption,” Türk stressed.

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