UN Warns of Dramatic Surge in Haiti Displacement
(MENAFN) UN humanitarian officials sounded alarms Wednesday over a dramatic surge in internal displacement triggered by escalating violence in Haiti.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 1.3 million people across the nation have been uprooted, citing data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
This marks a 24 percent jump since December 2024 and represents the highest displacement levels ever linked to violence in Haiti.
While armed conflict remains concentrated in the capital, Port-au-Prince, it has increasingly spread to other regions—most notably the Centre and Artibonite departments—sparking widespread displacement, OCHA reported.
Displacement figures in the Centre Department have more than doubled in recent months, rising from 68,000 in December 2024 to over 145,000 by June. Meanwhile, Artibonite has seen over 90,000 people forced from their homes since December, and the North Department has experienced nearly an 80 percent rise in displacement. Many displaced families are compelled to reside in makeshift camps or overcrowded host households, often with scarce access to essential services, OCHA added.
The number of spontaneous displacement sites has also surged sharply, increasing from 142 in December to 246 currently. The Centre Department, which previously had none, now hosts 85 active sites. Additionally, 83 percent of displaced individuals live with host families, intensifying strains on vulnerable rural communities.
To respond, the IOM has expanded efforts in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, providing over 20,000 people with critical household supplies, distributing 3 million liters of clean water, and delivering basic healthcare to 6,000 individuals. Mental health and psychosocial services have been extended to more than 8,500 people, OCHA said.
OCHA warned that this rapid escalation in displacement is unfolding amid shrinking humanitarian access and severely inadequate funding. It stressed, if immediate action is not taken to address escalating needs and tackle the root causes of displacement, the crisis will intensify, further straining already overburdened systems and communities.
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