Advertisement

Hunger in Haiti reaches famine levels as gang violence persists

The cost of a food basket increased more than 11 percent in the past year, with inflation hitting 30 percent in July. (Photo/Reuters)

Nearly 6,000 people in Haiti are starving, with nearly half the country's population of more than 11 million people experiencing crisis levels of hunger or worse as gang violence smothers life in the capital of Port-au-Prince and beyond, according to a new report.

The number of Haitians facing crisis, emergency and famine levels of hunger increased by 1.2 million in the past year for a total of 5.4 million as gang violence disrupts the transportation of goods and prevents people from venturing out of their homes to buy food, according to the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

"This is one of the highest proportions of acutely food insecure people in any crisis around the world," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The 5,636 people who are facing starvation, the worst level, live in makeshift shelters across the metropolitan area, according to the report released on Monday, which noted that another 2 million Haitians face severe hunger.

"This is shocking," said Martine Villeneuve, Haiti director for the nonprofit Action Against Hunger. "We were not expecting that level. Two million … is massive."

Villeneuve told The Associated Press that she was also surprised that some of the 2 million people hit by hunger don't even live in places directly affected by gang violence.

While much of the hunger is directly tied to gang violence, double-digit inflation also has limited what many Haitians can afford to buy, with food now representing 70 percent of total household expenditures.

The cost of a food basket increased more than 11 percent in the past year, with inflation hitting 30 percent in July.

Gang violence, however, accounts for most of the hunger, with gangs controlling 80 percent of Port-au-Prince and the roads that lead to and from northern and southern Haiti, preventing farmers from delivering goods and nonprofits from delivering aid.

Worsening humanitarian crisis

From April to June, at least 1,379 people were reported killed or injured, and another 428 were kidnapped. In addition, gang violence has left more than 700,000 people homeless in recent years.

A UN-backed mission led by Kenya that began in late June and is aimed at quelling gang violence in Haiti has liberated some communities.

But officials say much work remains to be done as the US, Haiti and others call for a UN peacekeeping mission to secure funding and personnel that the current mission lacks.

"Haiti continues to face a worsening humanitarian crisis, with alarming rates of armed gang violence disrupting daily life, forcing more people to flee their homes and levels of acute food insecurity to rise," the report stated.

Dujarric said humanitarian food agencies and nonprofits in Haiti need an additional $230 million by year's end.

Seventy percent of people living in makeshift shelters are experiencing crisis levels of hunger or worse, the report found.

___

Source: TRT

Advertisement
Comment