The Central Emergency Response Fund releases US$18 million to support the humanitarian response in Haiti

(Port-au-Prince, 16 May 2023) In light of the severity and urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, allocated $18 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

This financial contribution includes two allocations, one of $9 million to fight hunger, and the second of $9 million to strengthen the scale-up of humanitarian presence and response in particular to fight gender-based violence, and enhance efforts related to child protection, acute malnutrition and cholera.

The number of people in need almost doubled in the past 5 years to reach 5.2 million in 2023. Meanwhile, some 4.9 million people are facing high levels of food insecurity, a figure that has almost quadrupled from 2017. The number of children in Haiti suffering from severe acute malnutrition has skyrocketed by 30 percent compared to 2022.

"This CERF support is critical to the humanitarian response in Haiti. To date, this year’s Humanitarian Response Plan is less than 12 per cent funded. Additional funding is urgently needed to implement the HRP especially with the rainy and hurricane season fast approaching," stressed the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Philippe Branchat.

At least 15 per cent of the two CERF allocations will be set aside to directly support local NGOs in the implementation of activities and to strengthen NGO coordination mechanism in country, through the Inter-Organizational Platform for NGOs (CLIO).

For more information, please contact:
Alexandra de Sousa, Head of Office, desousa@un.org
Alexandra Bonvalot, Head of Communications a.i., bonvalot@un.org
OCHA press releases are available here: www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int