Nearly 5 million people in Haiti (almost half of the population) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, classified in IPC Phase 3 and above between March and June 2023. According to an updated projection analysis conducted in March 2023, this is a slight increase on an already high magnitude, compared to the 4.7 million which was projected in the September 2022 analysis, confirming that acute food insecurity remains extremely worrying in Haiti. Of the total 4.9 million people, 1.8 million are estimated to be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), up from 1.7 million in the September 2022 analysis. The number of people in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) has also slightly increased from 3.04 million to 3.08 million in the recent analysis. 

As anticipated in the September 2022 analysis, high inflation, fueled by the depreciation of the gourde against the dollar and the rising cost of transportation, as well as the deteriorating security climate, continue to reduce the purchasing power of the poorest households, who are forced to resort to unsustainable livelihood coping strategies. The country’s level of structural vulnerability also explains why many households are extremely sensitive to shocks (climatic hazards, price increases, crop losses, etc.), and are particularly prone to acute food insecurity. 

The areas most affected are Cité Soleil and Ville de Jérémie. The September 2022 analysis indicated that 5 percent of the population (approximately 20,000 people) in Cité Soleil would likely be in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). However, increased humanitarian food assistance in recent months reached around 30% of the targeted population, and pulled the most vulnerable people from Phase 5 down into lower phases. The situation in Ville de Jérémie has also improved, with a reduction of 5 percent of the population in Emergency (IPC Phase 4). While certain areas of the country have seen improvements, the situation in other parts of the country has further deteriorated. In these areas, humanitarian food assistance was not scaled up despite the worrying projection from the previous analysis.

Livelihood support: Climate-related stresses such as drought and natural disasters have led to rising food prices and food insecurity putting vulnerable households at risk. Urgent action needs to be taken on livelihood support. Livelihood assistance should focus on facilitating agriculture production, providing financial assistance (rural loans), and restoring livelihoods (income-generation activities and livestock).

Humanitarian assistance: With over 31% of the population classified as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above – humanitarian assistance needs to be provided to assist the most vulnerable households, by reducing food insecurity.

Emergency development: It is essential to reassess intervention strategies, and emergency development programs by considering all factors and risks contributing to acute household food insecurity (agricultural development, accessibility, governance, etc.).