Haiti gang violence: 5.41 million people experiencing ‘high levels of acute food insecurity’

Last updated on October 2nd, 2024 at 12:00 pm

Nearly 48% of people in the beleaguered Caribbean nation of Haiti are experiencing acute food shortages amid ongoing armed gang violence, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a report released recently.

Haiti continues to face a deteriorating humanitarian crisis as alarming rates of armed gang violence disrupt daily lives of scores of people, forcing more and more Haitians to evacuate their homes and levels of acute food insecurity also rise.

Despite international efforts to soothe the situation and the appointment of another government, violence persists in the country. More than 3,600 people lost their lives in the first half of 2024 amid the “senseless” gang violence, the UN said.

Natural disasters and inflation exacerbate Haiti hunger crisis

Bloody conflicts in the capital Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas is creating serious difficulties in supplying basic food items to the regions, subsequently limiting households’ physical and financial access to food.

The difficulties have triggered high inflation in Haiti. The residual effects of climate catastrophes such as hurricanes and earthquakes continue to exacerbate the hunger crisis. A UN-backed mission led by Kenya has liberated some communities from gang control.

But officials fear that significant challenges remain. The situation is not expected to improve during the projected period of March to June 2025 as humanitarian food assistance is not likely to meet the needs of the population, the IPC report read.