The United Nations has warned that Haiti is facing one of the most severe and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere, with more than half the population in urgent need of assistance.
Speaking after a recent visit to the country, Edem Wosornu, director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said 6.4 million people now require aid out of a population of nearly 12 million.
She said food insecurity is worsening sharply, with around 5.7 million people facing acute hunger. Families are increasingly skipping meals, while children are being forced to leave school to help support their households.
The country is also grappling with what Wosornu described as a deepening protection crisis, driven by escalating violence, mass displacement and widespread gender-based abuse.
According to the UN, about 1.45 million people are internally displaced — roughly 4% of the population — while insecurity has forced the closure of 1,600 schools, affecting some 250,000 children.
“School means a lot for the people of Haiti,” she said, warning of the long-term consequences of disrupted education.
The UN is seeking $880 million in funding to assist 4.2 million people this year, including a $680 million plan targeting 3.3 million of the most vulnerable.
However, Wosornu said funding shortfalls remain a major challenge, noting that only 27% of the required funds were secured last year, raising concerns about the ability to respond to the growing crisis.