UNICEF Haiti Humanitarian Situation Report No. 7: 30 September 2023 – Haiti

Reporting Period: 1–30 September 2023

Highlights

• The month of September saw continued armed group perpetrated violence in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. Over 200,000 people are now internally displaced, including new displacements in September, following incidents in the Centre Department which displaced 10,000 people, including children.

• The closure of borders by the Dominican Republic raised concerns about the potential impacts for children if the closure continues. Deportations continued, albeit at a reduced rate, as UNICEF’s local partners continued receiving unaccompanied children.

• Cholera continues to be a major concern, with reports of hotspots persisting in several departments and 51 deaths reported in the last month. As of September, UNICEF was able to assist over 970,000 people with safe water, while 658,000 received critical WASH supplies, including cholera kits.

• Following months of preparation, UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education in reopening schools for the 2023–2024 academic year, starting with over 20,800 children receiving school supplies.

• UNICEF requires US$245.9 million to respond effectively to the imminent humanitarian needs, while building conditions for more shock-responsive systems in Haiti. As of September, UNICEF’s humanitarian appeal has a funding gap of US$198.2 million (81 per cent).

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

Haiti, grappling with a complex history of poverty, political instability and natural hazards, continued to face increasing
humanitarian challenges during the first half of 2023. It has been estimated that over 5.2 million Haitians, nearly half of
the population, need humanitarian assistance and protection. Thousands of other highly vulnerable people will likely
find themselves in need if the situation continues to deteriorate or if new shocks affect their communities. The
compounded crises have differentiated impacts on distinct groups and regions: urban populations entrapped by armed
violence; families displaced by violence; food insecure and marginalized communities outside the capital; and
repatriated migrants.

Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that between 1 January and
30 September 2023, 5,599 cases of armed-group-related violence were recorded, including 3,156 killings, 1,159 injuries
and 1,284 kidnappings, a sharp increase compared with the same period last year.

As of the end of September 2023, over 64,400 suspected cases of cholera have been reported, with 3,934 of them
confirmed (an increase of 89 from the previous month and almost a 50 per cent decrease compared with the month
prior). Almost half are children. To date, there have been 906 deaths, including community and institutional deaths.

With a health-care system facing significant challenges, and the ongoing final months of the cyclone and rainy season,
concerns about spikes in cholera cases continue, especially in the departments of Artibonite, Centre and Ouest, where
a significant number of cases continue to present at cholera treatment centres and/or public health structures that suffer from limited human resources.

Armed violence, kidnappings and GBV have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. Recent reports show that
there are now over 70,000 internally displaced persons in around 80 spontaneous sites (an increase of 10 since the last
report) throughout Port-au-Prince. Smaller groups have been identified squatting, or in sites in Artibonite, while partners
note some movement towards the southern departments. Per the report, inadequate shelter and crowded living
conditions increase family tensions, which in turn can contribute to violence and increase the risk of sexual assault.

According to the World Bank, physical violence affects 29 per cent of women aged 20 to 45 years in the country. UNICEF
continues to support the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Haitian Government counterpart, the
Directorate-General for Civil Defence (DGPC), with advocacy for solutions to the displacement situation. In particular,
with the return to school this month, a number of parents have expressed major concern over the future of school-aged
internally displaced children. The ministry is working with the DGPC, other government departments, the United Nations
and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners to find acceptable solutions to allow access to learning and to
protect the rights of displaced populations. Furthermore, most sites have limited or inexistent water, sanitation and
hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to cater for the number of displaced families. Several reports identify the need to improve
water access and sanitation as a key priority, especially with the ongoing cholera crisis.

Further, on 15 September, the Dominican Republic closed all borders with neighbouring Haiti. While the full humanitarian
impact is challenging to assess, initial observations include concerns about safety, the availability of medicines and the
protection of children and migrants. This deterioration could certainly worsen if the closure continues. In addition, humanitarian actors are warning of the potentially devastating economic impact that a prolonged closure could have on
the country’s economy. IOM reported that, despite the border closure, more than 800 migrants were deported from 18 to
19 September alone at Belladere border crossing. Through its partners, UNICEF is warning of the increased risk of
violence against migrants during deportations, particularly children. Humanitarian partners are particularly concerned
about the repercussions on children’s physical and mental health, the loss of documentation during deportations, the
risk of family separation, the disruption to education and the threat of economic and sexual exploitation as a survival
mechanism for children. The food security sector reports inflation of over 40 per cent, with the border closure depriving
many families of their already limited sources of income. This is despite a relative fall in the number of people living in
poverty.

Furthermore, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report issued this month, 44
per cent of Haitians continue to find themselves in either Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of
hunger.