‘Catastrophic’ hunger recorded in Haiti recorded for first time, UN warns — Global Issues

Hunger has reached catastrophic levels – a peak of 5, according to the Integrated Food Security Stage Classification (IPC) index – in the Cité Soleil neighborhood of the capital.

According to the latest IPC analysis, a record 4.7 million people are currently facing acute hunger (IPC 3 or higher), including 1.8 million people in Emergency phase (IPC 4) and, First time in Haiti19,000 people are in Disastrous stage, stage 5.

Currently, 65% of Cité Soleil’s population, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, are highly food insecure with 5% of them in need of human assistance. emergency guidance.

Increased violence, with armed groups vying for control of the vast and now lawless Port-au-Prince area, has meant that residents have lost access to jobs, markets and services. health and nutrition services. Many have been forced to flee or just hide in their homes.

Insecurity in the countryside

Food security also continues to deteriorate in rural areas, with a number of causes from Crisis arrive Emergency levels.

Harvest losses due to below-average rainfall and the 2021 earthquake that devastated parts of Grand´Anse, Nippes and Sud, are among the other devastating factors, in addition to the economic crisis and politics.

“WFP stands with the Haitian people – serving the vulnerable and helping the poorest. We are here to make sure students get nutritious meals every day, families meet their basic food needs, and communities are empowered,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP Country Director for Haiti. know.

‘Chaotic times’

“This is a tumultuous time in Haiti. But there is a way forward. We all need to be steadfast and focused on urgent humanitarian assistance and support long-term development. “

“We need to help Haitians produce better, more nutritious food to protect their livelihoods and futureespecially in light of the deepening food crisis,” said Jose Luis Fernández Filgueiras, FAO Representative in Haiti. “Resource mobilization efforts must be expanded to strengthen the resilience of households receiving emergency food assistance to increase their self-reliance.”

For years, natural disasters and political turmoil have taken a toll on Haitians, who are already deprived in both rural and urban areas. The outbreak of the global food crisis, with rising food and fuel prices, led to growing civil unrest that plunged Haiti into chaos, crippling operations completely. economy and traffic.

Basic food baskets are out of reach for many Haitians. Inflation stood at a staggering 33% and the cost of gasoline has doubled.

Provide solutions

Despite the volatile security situation in the capital Port-au-Prince, WFP has provided more than 100,000 people get emergency support in urban areas by 2022. WFP’s focus remains on strengthening national social protection and food systems, which are central to the country’s long-term development and recovery efforts.

Over the next six months, WFP asks for US$105 million for crisis response and to address the root causes and strengthen Haiti’s resilience.

FAO has been providing emergency livelihood support to vulnerable smallholder farmers. During the fall farming season that begins this month, FAO aims to reach nearly 70,000 people cash to work, support food crop production, support goat and poultry rearing, and support food storage and processing for school feeding programs. FAO emergency asking for about 33 million dollars to support more than 470,000 of the most vulnerable.

While agencies continue to operate in Haiti as the security situation permits, increasing insecurity, violence and fuel shortages are hindering humanitarian operations that are so vital to vulnerable Haitians. most hurt.

Cholera, close to ‘death sentence’

And, the nearly 100,000 children under the age of 5 who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition – aka severe emaciation – are particularly vulnerable as a result of the cholera outbreak affecting Haiti, UNICEF warned.

At a time when much of the country is facing increasing food insecurity, severely malnourished children have weakened immune systems and they are three times more likely to die from cholerareinforces the need for urgent action to contain the epidemic.

Since cholera was first reported on October 2, 2022, there have been 357 suspected cases of the disease with more than half of these being in children under 14 years of age.

Children between the ages of one and four are most at risk.

Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, said: “The crisis in Haiti is increasingly a crisis of children. “A third of those with cholera are under 5 years old.

“For children who are already emaciated by poor nutrition, who have both cholera and effects, including diarrhea and vomiting, close to a death sentence. They must be identified and treated urgently, and specific measures must be taken to prevent new cases of cholera in the community.”

In Cité Soleil, where the first case of cholera was reported, up to 8,000 children under the stomach are at risk of dying from concomitant malnutrition, emaciation in this case, and cholera unless urgent action is taken. level to prevent this threat.

The health system is in decline

The health system was brought to life in Haiti after the gang blocked off the country’s main fuel port.

About three-quarters of the country’s major hospitals, which rely on diesel generators, say they are unable to provide regular service. Fuel shortages also mean there are currently only three ambulances operating in Port-au-Prince – almost none across the country.

Vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and girls, are most affected by limited access to health services.

UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, estimates that nearly 30,000 pregnant women are at risk of not being able to access essential health care services and that nearly 10,000 could experience reproductive complications. life-threatening – if not fatal – without skilled medical assistance. Some 7,000 survivors of sexual violence could be left without medical and psychosocial support by the end of the year.

Aid for relocation

“Despite the extremely challenging security situation and fuel shortages, UNFPA and our partners operating mobile clinics Saïdou Kaboré, UNFPA Representative in Haiti, said it was common to be in locations with internally displaced people around Port-au-Prince.

“Our trained community workers are doing all they can to ensure that women and girls, especially pregnant women and survivors of violence, can access services and supports important to their health and survival. “