The southern peninsula of Haiti, comprising Grand’Anse and Sud departments, is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. The population size in these areas is estimated at approximately 720,443 persons in Sud and 421,505 persons in Grand’Anse. The region is characterized by three livelihood zones: HT07 (South beans, bananas, and petty trade), HT08 (Southwestern coast maize, cassava, and bush products), and HT01 (dry coastal maize and charcoal). Agriculture is the main source of income, with 80 percent of households in Sud and 84 percent in Grand’Anse having access to land for agriculture.
Poverty and food insecurity are widespread in both departments, with poverty rates of 50 percent in Sud and 70 percent in Grand’Anse. Food insecurity affects 44.6 percent of households in Sud and 77.9 percent in Grand’Anse. Stunting and wasting rates are also high, with 22 percent of children in Sud and 21.6 percent in Grand’Anse suffering from stunting, and 2.1 percent in Sud and 3.6 percent in Grand’Anse experiencing wasting. Poor households in Sud are more likely to be headed by men and have lower levels of education, while those in Grand’Anse are more likely to be headed by someone not married, particularly widowed.
Poor households in both departments face significant challenges, including limited access to modes of communication, transportation, and other assets. They are also more likely to access drinking water through unprotected springs and have limited access to sanitation facilities. The households experience shocks related to natural disasters or health emergencies, which exacerbate their vulnerability. The Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) notes that poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition are widespread in both departments, with significant implications for the well-being of the population.
The main staple food crops in Haiti are plantains, rice, maize, wheat flour, tubers, beans, peas, and sorghum. Domestic production meets 58 percent of demand for maize and 22 percent for rice, while wheat flour and edible oils are imported. Households have a high dependence on purchases to meet their basic food needs, making them highly susceptible to global and local food price fluctuations. The diets in both departments are mainly cereal-based and lack diversity, contributing to macro and micro-nutrient deficiencies.
Communities and farmers in the region face significant challenges, including limited storage and processing capacities, climate change, limited access to land, markets, and irrigation systems. Female-headed households are particularly vulnerable, using fewer inputs, having less productive farms, lower incomes, and higher rates of food insecurity. Households experience multiple shocks that influence their access to food, including high prices, health emergencies, loss of employment, and political instability. To cope with these challenges, households have adjusted their consumption patterns or employed strategies such as reducing meal portions, reducing the number of meals, and securing cheaper food items.