AMERICA/HAITI - About 4 million people affected by food insecurity: the country is on the brink of abyss

Saturday, 27 February 2021 human rights   hunger   poverty  

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Port au Prince (Agenzia Fides) - In the latest report by the United Nations Secretary-General on the situation in Haiti, the latter points out the worsening of the economic situation, below-average agricultural production and persistent insecurity, which undermine and exacerbate developments that are already worrying in Haiti.
According to the Haiti Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2021, 4.4 million people will need humanitarian assistance during the year. To meet these needs, a humanitarian aid program for 2021-2022, due in early March, is set to serve 1.5 million people in 65 of 146 communities that are most at risk.
An amount of $ 235.6 million is required to fund this plan. Most of the humanitarian problems in Haiti are chronic and result from development deficits. Therefore, humanitarian action must go hand in hand with promoting development and peace in order to reduce the risk and vulnerability factors that underlie humanitarian needs.
Against the background of this difficult humanitarian situation, food insecurity and malnutrition have also increased in the past year. High rates of inflation and low crop yields due to abnormal rainfall and restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic have reduced the purchasing power of the poorest households and their access to food.
The Integrated Food Security Classification Framework documents that around 4 million people suffered from severe food insecurity between August 2020 and February 2021.
There was also an increase in the crime rate in Haiti. Meanwhile, the Bishops' Conference sees the country on the edge of the abyss: "The daily life of the Haitian people is characterized by death, murder, impunity and insecurity. In almost all areas there is dissatisfaction. Some problems are almost impossible to solve ..." (See Fides, 3/2/2021). (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 27/2/2021)


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