Malnutrition Could Soon Affect Nearly Six Million People in Haiti: UN Study

A UN-backed food security report released on Friday warns that nearly 5.7 million people in Haiti are currently suffering from malnutrition, a figure that could rise to six million in the coming months.

Haiti, already plagued by violence and chronic instability, faces one of the worst humanitarian crises in the Caribbean. According to the report, over half of the country’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity, which is defined by insufficient food consumption and the need to deplete livelihood assets such as livestock in order to survive.

Key Findings

The report was produced by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative that monitors hunger and malnutrition patterns worldwide.

While the figures are broadly consistent with April’s report, there is one positive note: the 8,400 Haitians previously classified at IPC Phase 5 — the catastrophic level equating to famine — have been downgraded due to the expansion of aid to displaced persons’ camps.

Haiti’s crisis is driven by a combination of gang violence, political instability, and social disruption:

• Violent criminal gangs routinely commit murders, rapes, looting, and kidnappings.
• Political instability intensified in early 2024, when gangs forced then Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down.
• Haiti has not held national elections since 2016 and is now governed by a transitional presidential council.

The report cautions that, without urgent intervention, the situation will deteriorate further, placing 5.91 million people at risk of high acute food insecurity in the near future.

The findings underline the urgency of humanitarian action in Haiti. Acute food insecurity not only threatens lives and nutrition, but also forces families to sell assets and livestock, undermining their long-term ability to survive.

The UN and partner organisations stress the need for:

1. Expanded food aid and nutritional support for vulnerable populations.
2. Protection of displaced persons’ camps to prevent further malnutrition.
3. Addressing underlying instability caused by gang violence and political vacuum.

Without coordinated action, Haiti faces a worsening humanitarian disaster, with millions of families on the brink of severe hunger and malnutrition.