More than 700,000 people, half of them children, are currently internally displaced in Haiti, forced to flee because of the dire humanitarian situation and gang violence, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday. .
At the beginning of September, the IOM, an agency dependent on the UN, recorded exactly 702,973 displaced people. This represents an increase of 22% compared to the situation in June, underlines the organization in a press release.
“The sharp increase in displacement highlights the urgent need for a sustained humanitarian response,” said Grégoire Goodstein, IOM Haiti official. “We call on the international community to strengthen its support for Haiti’s displaced populations and host communities who continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of these challenges.”
The majority of displaced people in Haiti, around 75%, are now housed in the country’s provinces, with the Grand Sud region alone hosting 45% of all displaced people, the agency explains.
The capital Port-au-Prince, “where the situation remains precarious and unpredictable, hosts a quarter of the country’s displaced people, often residing in overcrowded sites, with little or no access to basic services.”
Host communities “continue to bear the brunt of this crisis”, underlines the IOM, recalling that 83% of displaced people are currently hosted by families.
“The pressure on resources is immense, with the majority of host households reporting significant difficulties, including food shortages, overwhelmed health facilities and a lack of essential supplies in local markets,” insists the UN organization.
According to her, local infrastructure and services, especially in the provinces, are also under great pressure, with food insecurity, adequate housing and access to health care and education among the greatest needs. more pressing.
The security situation remains critical in Haiti, despite the establishment and arrival of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) led by Kenya.
National roads are still occupied by armed gangs, who control the vast majority of the capital.
Haiti, already the poorest country in the region, has long suffered from violence by criminal gangs but in recent months, it has increased and further aggravated an almost permanent humanitarian crisis.
These gangs are accused of numerous murders, rapes, looting and kidnappings for ransom.