Haiti Emergency Situation Report No. 27 (as of 14 June 2024)

This report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the humanitarian situation in Port-au-Prince following the violence that broke out on 29 February. The report covers mainly the period from 7 to 14 June 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Violence and insecurity are affecting the mental health of civilians, leading to distress and suicidal behaviors.
• After months of increases, food prices have moderated in Port-au-Prince and nationwide, linked to fuel availability and food imports.
• More than 1.14 million hot meals have been distributed in 91 sites across Port-au-Prince since the beginning of the year.
• First meeting between the Prime Minister and members of the Transitional Presidential Council with humanitarians, technical and financial partners.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The Grand Sud region, comprised of the Anse, Nippes, Sud and Sud-Est departments, has recorded an increase of 131 per cent in its displaced population in comparison to March 2024, leading to increased needs for both the displaced and host families, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The latest IOM data shows that practically all the IDPs (99.9%) live with host families. The 2024 HNRP had predicted that the region will emerge as a major humanitarian hotspot, after Port-au-Prince. OCHA is working with international and national partners to put greater focus on the area and scale up the response.

After months of increases, food basket costs (for a household of 5) fell by 5 per cent nationwide in May 2024 compared to April 2024, the World Food Programme said in its latest market analysis. The main drivers of the price fall were cheaper fuel, early spring production, more imported food, and slight decrease in security concerns, facilitating goods transportation. The cost of the food basket in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area fell by 13 per cent compared with April. However, overall the food basket is still high at 28,068 HTG (approx. $207), up of 3% compared to December 2023. All departments saw a fall in cost, excepted the Northeast and the Centre, where it rose.

Events that regularly stress the country represent risk factors that negatively impact mental health and psychosocial well-being of the population, according to an IOM report on suicidal behavior in the Port-au-Prince area. Three initial factors were identified as having a particularly negative impact (direct and indirect) on the Haitian population: political, economic factors, and those related to natural disasters. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are the most exposed, expressing fears, anxiety, and significant inabilities to meet their basic needs. Front-line workers also testify to feelings of fear, lack of resources to manage stress, and helplessness at being confronted with the distress of those displaced. Recommendations included updating mental health policy and developing a national suicide prevention strategy; strengthening human resources; Optimizing intervention coverage.

Prime Minister Gary Conille and his government and members of the Presidential Transition Committee met humanitarian actors, technical and financial partners on 13 June in Port-au-Prince to discuss the level of preparedness for the hurricane season, assess the state of pre-positioned stocks and examine the complementarity of resources between international partners and the government to ensure optimal preparedness and response. The Prime Minister called on humanitarian partners to support the Civil Protection Department (Direction Générale de la Protection Civile) and strengthen coordination with the Government.