The United Nations announced on Thursday that it has allocated an additional $12 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support those affected by the recent outbreak of violence in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
The funds will be used to provide essential aid, including food, water, healthcare, sanitation and hygiene support, to displaced people and host communities in Port-au-Prince and the neighboring province of Artibonite, according to a statement on the multinational organization’s website.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths expressed the hope that the funds would help humanitarian partners reach those most in need.
Armed gangs are rampant in the city, and the situation has worsened after a prison break allowed many criminals to escape.
The situation in Haiti remains tense, with attacks on healthcare facilities exacerbating the already dire circumstances facing the population.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported on the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for assistance in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and in some provincial towns.
Expressing its concern at the escalating violence and its impact on civilians, the UN is calling for urgent action on behalf of Haiti.
The UN organization also expressed disappointment at the mixed response from member countries to the appeal for funds for Haiti.
Of the $674 million requested to support the overall humanitarian action in Haiti announced in February, only $45 million has been received to date, the UN regretted, underlining the urgent need for additional funds to address the humanitarian crisis in Haiti.
The UN has also appealed to the international community for generosity to ensure the provision of vital assistance to the Haitian population.