Thursday February 15, 2024, in a context of sustained attacks against civilians by armed groups, an increase in the number of displaced people and multiple civil unrest in Haiti, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) called for access without hindrance for humanitarian agencies and the free movement of food products in order to prevent already disastrous food insecurity from becoming catastrophic.

WFP continues to provide emergency food assistance in Haiti alongside programs that help address the root causes of hunger. However, the recent upsurge in violence has prevented the UN organization from helping more than 370,000 Haitians among those most affected by food insecurity since the beginning of February. Currently, 44% of Haitians face acute food insecurity and struggle to feed their families.

"The recent surge in violence has blocked transport routes, restricted travel and closed schools, forcing WFP to temporarily suspend many activities across the country. We cannot 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 if we cannot provide effective aid," said Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP Country Director in Haiti.

Children are most affected by the latest wave of violence and unrest. School closures in recent weeks have deprived nearly 300,000 schoolchildren of the daily hot meals provided by WFP and its partners in school canteens, which constitute, for many, the only full meal of the day.

In Port-au-Prince, WFP was also unable to deliver rations to 56,000 people in the poor neighborhood of Cité Soleil, nor food to central kitchens providing meals to recently displaced people.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, WFP continues to disburse payments to vulnerable households in Grand'Anse department through its social safety net program, which enables digital transfers using mobile phones

WFP aims to reach 2.4 million people in 2024 with emergency assistance (cash and in-kind food rations) – security permitting.

Ulrika Richardson, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, condemned the violence that has further intensified in the capital and stressed that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected and that humanitarians must have safe access and without restriction to people in need.

HL/ HaitiLibre