New York, 10 March 2021. With 46% of Haitians expected to face acutely food insecure (IPC Phase 3 or above), of which over 1.1 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) over March-June 2021,  Haiti is one of the worst food crises in the world today comparable to the one we are seeing in the Central African Republic highlighted Mr. Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva and Director ad interim of the FAO Office for Emergencies and Resilience, speaking at the OCHA Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Haiti.  

“This situation results from a reduction in agricultural production caused by a long period of drought, storms, and a rise in the prices of basic products all compounded by the impact of important preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19,” said Mr. Burgeon.

Withinthe new Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP 2021), the food security sector needs USD 156 million to ensure access to food as well as to protect and restore the livelihoods of 1.3 million vulnerable people, those at risk of losing their assets in an irreversible way.

 “Food insecurity is deeply rooted in multiple vulnerabilities. FAO is also carrying out actions to strengthen resilience to shocks caused by natural disasters as well as socio-economic crises” he added.

 Haiti is benefitting from the FAO Hand In Hand initiative, an evidence-based, country-led, country-owned programme to eradicate poverty (Sustainable Development Goal 1) and end hunger (Sustainable Development Goal 2). The initiative has been launched in Haiti using an agri-food systems lens and has identified territories with the greatest potential for eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition.

“For FAO, Haiti is a corporate priority.” said Mr. Burgeon, “with less than 10% of FAO’s 2020 appeal funded, we could only reach about 170,000 people, far from our target and capacities”. “We call on the partners to urgently pledge additional resources to provide most urgent livelihood support to those edging towards a worst-case scenario” stated Mr. Burgeon.

“FAO will continue to support the efforts lead by Mr. Bruno Lemarquis, DSRSG/RC/HC, on the Nexus as a way to link efforts of different actors and pave the way to tackle structural causes of underdevelopment, food insecurity and instability in the country” concluded Mr. Burgeon.

The Briefing on the Humanitarian situation in Haiti aimed to draw attention on the Humanitarian Response Plan and increase funding for Haiti in 2021. It featured four key speakers, including His Excellency Mr. Joseph Jouthe, Minister of Planning and External Cooperation of Haiti, Mr. Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Mr. Michael  Köhler, Deputy Director-General, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and Dr. Michel A. Péan, National Coordinator, Société Haitienne d’Aide aux Aveugles (SHAA).

More information:

The Hand-in-Hand initiative in Haiti. Q&A with José Luis Fernandez, FAO Representative in Haiti 

FAO-WFP Hunger Hotspots Report March-July 2021