Haiti Hunger Deepens as 5.94 Million Face Acute Food Crisis
More than half of Haiti’s population now faces acute food insecurity, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released on 28 October. The analysis finds that more than 5.94 million people, 53 per cent of the population, face crisis levels of acute food insecurity — IPC Phase 3 or above.
That is an increase of nearly a quarter of a million people compared with the same period a year earlier. The IPC assessment projects that the number will rise to 6.35 million people over the coming six months, with extreme hunger expanding to more regions. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) described Haiti as having one of the highest levels of hunger in the world today.
Violence, prices and a harsh climate
The crisis is being driven by a combination of violent insecurity, economic shocks and extreme weather. Armed violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people, disrupted access to markets and land, and strained communities hosting displaced families. Inflation of approximately 17 per cent is eroding purchasing power and reducing households’ access to sufficient and varied food.
This year’s strong El Niño is also bringing drier conditions and higher temperatures to the Caribbean, contributing to soil drying, crop losses and delayed planting in Haiti. Poor harvests, worsened by last year’s Hurricane Melissa, are cutting food supplies further, while heavy rains and flooding this week have added to the strain in the south and southwest, according to CARE.
Aid under strain as needs grow
FAO is delivering emergency food production assistance to more than 320,000 vulnerable people, including kits with seeds, poultry, ducks, goats and other animals to help families produce milk and eggs and sustain themselves. The World Food Programme has supported 2.6 million people in Haiti so far in 2026, but says it needs $78 million to sustain operations through March.
The wider humanitarian response remains underfunded: less than half of the UN’s $880 million humanitarian appeal for Haiti in 2026 has been funded.
