Haiti Faces Record Levels of Hunger

Lauren Landis, the UN World Food Programme’s Country Director in Haiti, warns that hunger levels are worsening and could reach record highs. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) predicts 6.35 million people will face acute food insecurity between March and June next year, a rise from last year's figures.

Landis notes increased displacement due to violence leaves families struggling with extreme survival strategies. Families displaced multiple times arrive destitute she says, emphasizing the dire conditions leading to hunger and malnutrition.

The IPC report highlights nearly two million people will likely experience emergency-level food insecurity next spring, facing severe shortages and potential life-threatening situations. This situation is exacerbated by economic instability, poor agricultural performance, population displacement, and El Niño impacts.

Since early 2026, the WFP has been working with the Haitian government to assist over two million people through various programs including emergency food aid, cash transfers, school meals, social protection initiatives, and malnutrition prevention efforts for infants and young children.

To sustain these operations until March next year, the WFP urgently needs $78 million.