Mario Lubetkin, Deputy Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and regional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, says that although the most recent data shows signs of improvement of food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean, data reveals a worrying upward trend in Haiti.

Lubetkin said the situation in Haiti is particularly alarming, with violence, a prolonged economic crisis and extreme weather events that have brought the country to a crisis point with devastating consequences for its population.

He said a further deterioration of acute food insecurity is expected between June and October 2024, emphasizing "Haiti is the only country in the region that is considered to be in the grip of a food crisis major and prolonged, it is one of the nine countries in the world threatened by famine and is one of the five countries where more than 10% of the population is in an emergency situation.

"This translates into 1.6 million people suffering from food consumption deficits, which translate into very high acute malnutrition and excess mortality that they can only mitigate through emergency livelihood strategies and the liquidation of their assets. On the other hand, almost half of the population, or around 5.5 million people, could face high levels of acute food insecurity," added Lubetkin.

Lubetkin said FAO, committed to supporting Haiti, is working intensively to mitigate the impacts of the humanitarian crisis through emergency agricultural assistance, strengthening livelihood resilience and specialized technical assistance, while ensuring the link between humanitarian response, resilience and development.

FAO estimated it would need $42.6 million to help 528,000 people, but it only received 6% of the funding.

In 2023, FAO helped some 120,000 people across Haiti through emergency agriculture and livestock interventions to support local food production and maintain rural livelihoods. In 2024, FAO continued to provide emergency assistance to Haiti, focusing on food security and agricultural resilience in the face of global challenges, assisting 44,000 beneficiaries in various departments of the country.

Lubetkin said that in the face of growing violence and food crises, FAO is calling on donors and governments to increase their support.

HL/ HaitiLibre