Haiti Emergency Situation Report No. 23 (As of 16 May 2024)

This report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the humanitarian situation in Port-au-Prince following the violence that broke out on 29 February. The report covers the period from 9 to 16 May 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Rampant violence continues in several districts of Port- au-Prince, where coordinated attacks are affecting thousands of people. On 10 May, an attack in the Gressier commune caused the displacement of around 4,400 people.

  • The number of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) increased fivefold between the first two months of the year and March, rising from 250 to 1,543. Sexual violence accounts for 75 per cent of the incidents reported.

  • After a two-month standstill due to security concerns, the World Food Programme (WFP) resumed food distribution in Cité Soleil, a very vulnerable area of Port- au-Prince, last week. By the end of the operation this week, 95,000 people will have been assisted.

  • Nearly 80 per cent of the 90,254 internally displaced persons (IDPs) registered at sites are benefiting from a continuous supply of drinking water.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

With the resurgence of violence related to armed groups' activities in Port-au-Prince since 29 February, thousands of people have been killed, injured, or forced to flee for safety and protection.

On 15 May, an OCHA team conducted an observation and advocacy mission at the Parc Celtique site in Solino, which currently hosts nearly 900 IDPs. During this visit, the OCHA team interviewed IDPs and partners working on the site, including the Organization of Hearts for the Change of Disadvantaged Children of Haiti (OCCEDH), to fully understand IDPs’ needs and response progress. The most urgent needs voiced at this site include protection, access to shelters and non-food items (NFIs), access to potable water and adequate hygiene and sanitation conditions, as well as access to food and income-generating activities. In Solino, as in other neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince, international and national humanitarian actors continue crucial work to assist IDPs and host communities. However, their actions are limited by a lack of resources. OCHA is calling on the international community scale up support to humanitarian actors in Haiti, including local NGOs often on the front lines in the areas most affected by insecurity to provide vital assistance.

Displaced women and girls face an increased risk of GBV and sexual exploitation, even within the sites. The number of reported GBV cases has seen an alarming rise. According to the GBV sub-cluster, cases increased from 250 to 1,543 between January to February 2024 combined and March. Among the survivors, 80 per cent are women, and 16 per cent are girls. Overall, 78 per cent of survivors are IDPs, and more than 70 per cent of incidents are reportedly attributable to the perpetrators of attacks. Humanitarian partners continue to assist survivors by providing psychosocial support and medical care. Currently, the sub-cluster’s GBV prevention and care activities are only 7 per cent funded.