As the hurricane season begins in the Caribbean, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) expresses deep concern over the critical humanitarian situation in Haiti, where nearly half of the population faces acute food insecurity.
With 5.7 million people experiencing emergency levels of hunger, Haiti now ranks among the world’s top five countries with the most catastrophic levels of food insecurity, according to the latest data released by WFP.
“Despite the violence, displacement, and system collapse, WFP remains present in Haiti,” stated Lola Castro, WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, during a press briefing on Tuesday. Following a recent mission to the country, Mrs. Castro painted a grim picture of the situation on the ground.
Gang-related violence, primarily concentrated in the capital Port-au-Prince, has led to the displacement of over one million people. In the commune of Kenscoff, approximately 14,000 residents were recently forced to flee their homes.
“Kenscoff was a place where people came to sell their agricultural products,” Mrs. Castro explained. “Today, these same people rely on food assistance, after their homes were burned down and their livelihoods destroyed.”
The humanitarian crisis disproportionately affects women and girls, who are particularly vulnerable in gang-controlled urban areas.
“Port-au-Prince is probably one of the most dangerous places in the world for women and girls,” emphasized Lola Castro. She added that more than 6,000 cases of gender-based violence have been reported since the beginning of the year. “We must support them to become less vulnerable and not be exposed to such violence.”
The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti has allocated a budget of 908 million dollars, yet only 8% of this amount has been funded to date. WFP reports that it requires 46.4 million dollars over the next six months to maintain its emergency response and address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition.
“This year, we’re entering the hurricane season with an empty warehouse,” warned Ms. Castro. “Without rapid resource mobilization, we simply won’t be able to respond: no emergency supplies, no logistical buffer, no safety net for the most vulnerable.”
In previous years, WFP maintained pre-positioned humanitarian reserves across the territory, enabling them to assist between 250,000 and 500,000 people immediately following a natural disaster. Today, the situation has become critical. “A single hurricane could plunge millions of people into a humanitarian catastrophe,” Ms. Castro cautioned.
In the face of these converging threats — violence, hunger, displacement, and climate — WFP is urging the international community to take immediate action.
“We cannot forget the Haitian people,” concluded Ms. Castro, making an urgent appeal to donors and humanitarian partners to prevent the crisis from deteriorating further.
WFP Raises Alarm as Hurricane Season Begins Amid Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis in Haiti
