UNICEF Haiti Humanitarian Situation Report No. 08 - September 2024

Highlights

• The latest displacement tracking matrix reveals that almost 703,000 people are displaced, with children accounting for just over half of this population – underscoring the ongoing child crisis. While the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince (ZMPP) now hosts 25 per cent of the displaced people, the majority still reside in informal and congested, displacement sites, exacerbating their vulnerability.
• A new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis highlights a severe deterioration in food security across Haiti. Nearly half of the population (5.4 million people) is experiencing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above). Of these, 2 million are classified in IPC Phase 4, indicating emergency levels and high malnutrition rates. Additionally, over 6,000 displaced people face catastrophic food insecurity (IPC Phase 5).
• Ensuring the return to learning for school-age children remains a critical priority. In Port-au- Prince alone, 10,000 children have received School-in-a-Bag kits, with the distribution of a total of 35,000 kits planned. Furthermore, preparations for the rehabilitation of up to 10 schools are ongoing.
• UNICEF maintains its multisectoral humanitarian response. To date, UNICEF has provided mental health and psychosocial support to over 63,000 children, parents and caregivers; supplied safe water and hygiene supplies to over 259,000 people; and screened over 323,000 children for wasting, detecting and treating over 31,000 cases of severe wasting.
• UNICEF urgently requires at least US$221.7 million to address the critical humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable women and children. To date, 79 per cent of the humanitarian appeal (US$174.6 million) remains unfunded.

Funding Overview and Partnerships

• In 2024, the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti has made donor commitments crucial to implementing life-saving activities and restoring essential services for families. As stated in the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti, the humanitarian community requires US$673.8 million to provide humanitarian assistance across all sectors. Within this framework, as outlined in the 2024 Humanitarian Action for Children, UNICEF requires US$221.7 million to support the urgent needs of children and their caregivers across nutrition, education, child protection, health, gender-based violence (GBV), social behaviour change and humanitarian cash transfers programmes. As of 30 September 2024, 79 per cent of this appeal remains unfunded.
• As of the end of September, generous contributions to UNICEF’s humanitarian response in Haiti have been made by the Government of Japan, the Government of Cyprus, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Government of Greece, the Government of Norway, the Government of France, the Bureau of Humanitarian Aid of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Spanish Committee for UNICEF, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Government of Belgium, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the Government of Canada. UNICEF Haiti has also received significant contributions from the Global Humanitarian Funds and internal allocations via the Emergency Programme Fund (EPF) loan mechanism to
• sustain critical humanitarian activities. Despite these efforts, Child Protection remains one of the most underfunded sectors with an 89 per cent funding gap.
• UNICEF extends its sincere gratitude to all donors for their contributions. While all funding is greatly appreciated and vital, flexible funding is particularly impactful. Unearmarked and flexible funding enables UNICEF Haiti to respond swiftly and effectively, directing resources where they are needed most and ensuring timely life-saving interventions.

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

• While the new school year is set to begin on 1 October, significant challenges remain for displaced children and those in areas affected by violence. Of the approximately 3.9 million school-aged children in Haiti, over a million have faced obstacles in accessing education, primarily due to displacement and insecurity. Since January 2024, more than 900 schools out of nearly 20,000 have been closed or suspended due to attacks, fear of violence, or because they have been repurposed as shelters for displaced families. The escalation of violence earlier this year has displaced over 210,000 school-aged children, and 180,000 have been directly impacted by school closures. Consequently, the total number of people in need of assistance in the education sector has risen to 1.5 million, representing a 25 per cent increase since January 2024.
• The latest round (Round 8) of the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) published on 30 September reports a nearly 22 per cent increase in internally displaced persons (IDPs), compared to the previous round in June (Round 7), with more than 702,000 individuals now displaced across the country – over half of whom are children. This surge is largely attributed to armed group attacks in the commune of Gressier, in the West department, during June and July. Gressier has now become the second-highest commune of provenance for IDPs, up from fifth-place in the previous round. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince (ZMPP) now hosts 25 per cent of the country’s IDPs, down from 32 per cent in Round 7, with most IDPs now residing in spontaneous and informal sites. As a result, 75 per cent of IDPs are now residing in the provinces outside the West department, primarily in southern departments which accommodate 45 per cent of the displaced population.
• The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)1 analysis highlights a severe deterioration in food security across Haiti. Currently, 5.4 million people, or nearly half of the population, are experiencing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above). Of these, 2 million are classified in IPC Phase 4, indicating emergency levels of extreme hunger and high malnutrition rates. Furthermore, over 6,000 displaced people face catastrophic food insecurity (IPC Phase 5), posing an imminent threat of starvation. This dire situation underscores the urgent need for extensive humanitarian support, particularly in rural areas, where 75 per cent of those affected reside.