Haiti’s freefall requires urgent global action as millions of people face hunger and violence

Edem Wosurnu of the UN Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHAinformed journalists about her recent mission to the Caribbean island, where violent armed gangs maintain control over large parts of the territory.

The worsening crisis is characterized by rising insecurity, increasing protection needs, mass displacement, shocking levels of gender-based violence (GBV) and a challenging operating environment for the UN and partners.

Families, not numbers

OCHA sounds alarm as more than half of Haiti’s population, 6.4 million people, now need humanitarian assistance.

About 5.7 million people are going hungry, with families skipping meals and children even leaving school to help support their households, while 1.5 million people – 12 percent of the population – are displaced.

“These are not abstract figures,” she said. “These represent uprooted families, displaced families; divorced children – many have lost the homes they knew.”

Violence and vermin

Ms Wosurnu, director of OCHA’s Crisis Response Division, was in Haiti from March 16 to 20 and “the situation has changed significantly” since her last mission two years ago.

She traveled to the capital Port-au-Prince, which is 90 percent under gang control, and to other locations such as Center Department, where a recent wave of violence has killed about 80 people and forced 13,000 to flee.

The experienced humanitarian aid worker visited busy displacement sites, including a school that normally has 400 students, but now accommodates around 2,800 people.

“They described vermin at night, cockroaches coming out and rashes on children’s skin,” she said. “The ground I walked on was exactly where people slept at night.”

Across Haiti, 1,600 schools remain closed due to insecurity in a country that values ​​education.

“School means a lot to the people of Haiti,” she said. “So 1,600 schools are closed and 250,000 children have not received an education, that is a big problem.”

Protect women and girls

The plight of women and girls is “particularly dire” and represents a protection crisis.

“Last year 8,100 survivors of gender-based violence were registered – an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous year. Half of the reported cases involved rape,” she said.

In one place she met a 16-year-old girl and her three-month-old baby, describing them as “a child holding a child.” The teenager was displaced and had no idea where her parents and siblings were. A man offered to take care of her, but abused her instead.

The girl embodied another harsh statistic, such as one in six GBV survivors is under the age of 18. Ms Wosornu also spoke to women whose “shining eyes” reflect their trauma.

Yet only 30 percent of survivors receive medical care or psychological support within the critical 72 hours after sexual violence, due to the lack of humanitarian funding for GBV.

Commitment to deliver

Amid the devastation in Haiti, the UN and its humanitarian partners remain committed to helping the people. The relief teams are made up of national staff, many of whom have themselves been displaced and threatened but remain committed to their work.

“They sometimes negotiate with the very armed actors we are talking aboutand provides assistance in areas that are extremely difficult to reach,” she said.

Humanitarians are asking for $880 million to support 4.2 million people in Haiti this year, amid continued cuts to foreign aid. So far less than 20 percent has been received.

Haiti can’t wait

Ms. Wosornu concluded her remarks with three requests “because the people of Haiti cannot wait.”

She called for an end to violence, continued support for humanitarian operations as “aid is collapsing” and political solutions to end the crisis.

“We must be honest. Humanitarian assistance alone cannot change the fate of the people of Haiti and the trajectory of Haiti,” she said.

“Sustained investments in essential services can create solutions for the people. Haiti’s courage is undeniable. Our support is imperative.”

Edem Wosornu (second right), Director of OCHA’s Crisis Response Division, during her visit to Haiti in March 2026.