Nearly 6 Million Haitians Face Severe Hunger as Gang Violence and El Niño Worsen Crisis
Nearly six million people in Haiti are experiencing acute food insecurity, with almost two million facing emergency levels of hunger, as escalating gang violence, displacement and extreme weather conditions deepen the country’s humanitarian crisis.
A new assessment released on Wednesday, October 28, by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative supported by United Nations agencies, estimates that 5.94 million Haitians are facing crisis-level hunger or worse between September 2026 and February 2027.
The report projects that the figure could rise to 6.35 million between March and June 2027, representing approximately 57 per cent of the population analysed. Nearly two million people are expected to face emergency conditions, characterised by severe food shortages and heightened risks of malnutrition.
Gang violence remains a major driver of the crisis, forcing more than 1.5 million people from their homes and disrupting access to farmland, markets and essential supplies. Rising food and fuel prices have further weakened households’ ability to afford basic necessities.
The situation is also being worsened by El Niño-related weather conditions, which are bringing irregular rainfall, drought and flooding. Farmers are struggling with reduced harvests, while insecurity and disrupted transport routes make it difficult to move agricultural produce to markets.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the worsening situation could erase recent improvements in food security and called for increased humanitarian assistance.
The agency said it needs $78 million to sustain its operations in Haiti through March 2027, including emergency food support, cash transfers and nutrition programmes.
Humanitarian organisations have urged increased international support to prevent further deterioration and protect vulnerable families from hunger and malnutrition.
