UN warns of rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti

A senior UN humanitarian official on Friday warned that Haiti is facing one of the most “severe and rapidly deteriorating” humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere, with more than half its population in urgent need of aid.

During a press briefing in New York following a recent visit to Haiti, 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 humanitarian assistance out of a population of nearly 12 million.

She highlighted worsening food insecurity, noting that about 5.7 million people are acutely food insecure in Haiti, with families skipping meals and children leaving school to support their households.

The country is also facing what she described as a “deepening protection crisis,” driven by escalating violence, mass displacement and widespread gender-based violence.

Wosornu said around 1.45 million people are internally displaced, roughly 4% of the population, while insecurity has forced the closure of 1,600 schools, affecting approximately 250,000 children.

“School means a lot for the people of Haiti,” she said, stressing the long-term impact of disrupted education.

The UN is seeking $880 million to assist 4.2 million people this year, including a $680 million plan targeting 3.3 million of the most vulnerable.

However, Wosornu noted that only 27% of requested funding was received last year.