WFP calls for humanitarian access as violence and unrest wreak havoc in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE – Amid sustained attacks on civilians by armed groups, increasing displacement and civil unrest in Haiti, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is calling for unimpeded access for aid agencies and the free flow of food commodities to prevent already-dire levels of hunger from becoming catastrophic.
WFP continues to deliver emergency food assistance in Haiti alongside programmes that help tackle root causes of hunger. However, the recent uptick in violence has prevented WFP from reaching more than 370,000 of most food insecure Haitians since early February. Currently, 44 percent of Haitians face acute food insecurity and struggle to feed their families.
“The recent upsurge in violence has blocked cargo routes, restricted movement and closed schools, forcing WFP to temporarily halt many activities across the country. We can’t afford to lose ground when 1.4 million Haitians face emergency levels of hunger. We risk seeing the most vulnerable people fall into famine-like conditions unless we can effectively deliver assistance,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP Country Director in Haiti.
Children are bearing the brunt under the latest wave of violence and unrest. School closures in recent weeks have deprived close to 300,000 school children of daily hot meals provided by WFP and partners — which are, for many, the only full meal of the day.
In the Port-au-Prince, WFP was also unable to deliver rations to 56,000 people in the impoverished Cité Soleil neighborhood, as well as food to central kitchens providing meals for recently displaced people. The International Organization for Migrations (IOM) estimates that 20,000 people have fled their homes in the Haitian capital since the beginning of 2024.
Working with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, WFP continues to disburse payments to vulnerable households in the department of Grand’Anse through its social safety net programme, which provides digital transfers using mobile phones - illustrating how new technology can ensure continued assistance in moments of extreme volatility.
WFP aims to reach 2.4 million people in 2024 through emergency assistance (cash and in-kind food rations) - security permitting – and is working with the government to provide school meals and to implement longer-term programmes to help Haitian produce their own food.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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