Haiti: More than half of Haiti’s population is now enduring critical levels of hunger as rampant gang violence, economic collapse, and mass displacement push the Caribbean nation deeper into crisis, a new assessment has found.
A report released on Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) revealed that 5.7 million Haitians, out of an estimated population of 11 million, are experiencing severe food shortages.
The findings indicate that 1.9 million people are already at emergency hunger levels, marked by extreme food gaps and rising malnutrition, while an additional 3.8 million face crisis-level insecurity.
The IPC warned that the situation could deteriorate even further, projecting nearly six million Haitians could face acute hunger by mid-2026, as the country enters its lean agricultural season and violence continues to disrupt food supplies.
In response, Haiti’s transitional government announced plans to create a Food and Nutrition Security Office to coordinate aid distribution and mobilize resources. Louis Gérald Gilles, a member of the transitional presidential council, said the government was committed to reaching those most affected as quickly as possible.
That effort, however, faces immense challenges. Armed groups are now believed to control about 90 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have expanded their reach into surrounding agricultural regions, crippling food production and transport. Violence has forced roughly 1.3 million people from their homes, with many now living in overcrowded shelters lacking clean water, sanitation, and medical care.
1 in 2 people in #Haiti are hungry — the latest @theIPCinfo data shows.
Unrelenting gang violence and a 30%-plus increase in food costs since last year are driving hunger and malnutrition across the country. @WHO is supporting the Health Ministry with the screening, referral… pic.twitter.com/y58yxSFuZt
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 10, 2025
Farmers who remain on their land are often forced to negotiate with gangs for access to fields, sometimes surrendering portions of their harvests. With key roads blocked, food and other goods cannot reach the capital, driving up prices and worsening shortages.
Haiti’s economy, already in freefall, has contracted for six consecutive years. Food prices rose 33 percent last July compared with the previous year, leaving basic staples beyond the reach of many families.
Children are bearing a hefty burden. According to a separate report this week, 680,000 children have been displaced by violence. More than 1,000 schools have been forced to close, while hundreds of minors have been recruited by armed groups.
Earlier this month, the United Nations approved the deployment of a new 5,550-member international gang suppression force to replace an underfunded mission that had struggled to restore order. Yet the security situation remains volatile. On Thursday, heavy gunfire erupted near the National Palace as government officials attempted to meet, forcing an evacuation from an area long dominated by gangs.
Martine Villeneuve, Haiti director at Action Against Hunger, cautioned that despite renewed international attention, any lasting recovery will depend on long-term investment and efforts to address the root causes of instability. “Without security, livelihoods, and functioning institutions, humanitarian aid alone cannot stop this downward spiral,” she said.
