Haiti’s Hunger Crisis: 5.7 Million Face Food Insecurity

Many people in Haiti displaced by violence, like this mother and baby, struggle to find enough to eat.

Millions of Haitians are facing food insecurity as armed groups expand their territorial control across the country, according to the latest internationally recognised IPC hunger report.

The report, published by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), found that 5.7 million Haitians are experiencing a deteriorating food security situation.

The analysis covers September 2025 to February 2026, with projections extending from March to June 2026.

A striking 1.9 million people—or 17 per cent of the population—are suffering emergency levels of acute food insecurity, facing severe food gaps, high malnutrition, and elevated mortality rates.

Another 3.8 million—or 34 per cent of the population—are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity, potentially forced to deplete essential livelihood assets just to meet basic nutritional needs.

The IPC expects food security to deteriorate further from March to June 2026, coinciding with the lean season, when food supplies are low and prices high.

Over half of the population—54 per cent—is projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.

The situation is worsened by armed groups’ growing control and the country’s declining economy, which have led to mass displacement and destroyed livelihoods.

In gang-controlled regions, farmers who still manage to cultivate land are forced to negotiate access and share their produce.

Households reliant on small businesses have lost income as businesses close, leaving many without jobs.

Despite humanitarian support, Haitians face overcrowded and precarious living conditions with limited sanitation, increasing risks of sexual violence, cholera, and psychological distress.

Many displaced people already lack access to safe water, food, and proper healthcare.

The IPC recommends emergency interventions to prevent the poorest households from resorting to harmful coping strategies and calls for an expansion of social protection programmes.