Humanitarian access in Haiti has been severely constrained due to a combination of factors, including gang violence, governance breakdown, natural disasters, and economic recession. The country has been plagued by a severe humanitarian emergency, with a resurgence of cholera and widespread insecurity. Armed criminal gangs have operated in Haiti since the 1950s, but their impact has surged since 2021, with the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the devastating August 2021 earthquake triggering political and socio-economic turmoil.
The UN estimates that gangs control 80% of the capital city, and the level of violence has been staggering, with 600 killings reported in the month of April alone. Communities have resorted to vigilante measures, with the emergence of self-defence groups in various parts of the capital and the Artibonite department. As gangs consolidate control over territories and set up roadblocks, people in inaccessible communities can find themselves effectively trapped, no longer able to travel away from home to access the services they need.
The economic situation in Haiti is dire, with nearly 90% of Haitians living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, and nearly a third in extreme poverty. Basic public services like health and education have become dependent on aid groups to fund and run, with many facilities forced to shut down due to deteriorating security conditions. An outbreak of cholera was confirmed in October 2022, after more than three years without any recorded cases, and the coordinated response to the outbreak was fatally slow due to the high levels of violence.
A UN-led scale-up of humanitarian assistance began in April 2023, introducing a new collective strategy and joint initiative to expand access. The scale-up aims to improve humanitarian access through assertive negotiation efforts that are backed up by results in the form of aid delivered, and by working closely with the NGO sector, particularly local organisations that have been able to maintain access through active acceptance measures at the community level and the willingness to negotiate with all power holders.
The humanitarian crisis in Haiti has resulted in a significant number of people in need, with the UN estimating that there are currently 5.2 million people in need this year, with 4.9 million of those severely food insecure. More than 165,000 people that were displaced by gang violence have sought shelter and safety in overcrowded camps, and the situation continues to deteriorate. The humanitarian response to the crisis is complex and challenging, requiring a coordinated effort from international and local actors to address the needs of the affected population.
Humanitarian organisations have reported that aid has only reached a small fraction of people who say they need it, mostly in the form of food and household items. According to people surveyed, the aid received mostly did not reach where it was most needed and did not cover priority needs. Humanitarian presence and access issues were obscure to many affected people, who lacked information on what aid was available and what was preventing it from getting to where it is needed.