Crisis in Haiti Escalates — Endangering Children's Lives
Over 1 million children in Haiti are facing critical levels of food insecurity in Haiti amid persistent armed violence and forced displacements. As famine looms, UNICEF acts to accelerate its emergency response and alleviate suffering.
Armed violence fuels nutrition crisis for Haitian families
Famine is looming in Haiti as violence between armed groups continues, alongside extreme poverty and a deteriorating economy.
In February and March, more than 1,000 people were killed and nearly 400 injured, according to UN estimates. More than 1 million Haitians have been forcibly displaced inside the country, some of them many times over. The recruitment of children by armed groups and sexual violence against children have been rising at an alarming rate.
An estimated 2.85 million children — one-quarter of Haiti's child population — are food insecure, over 1 million of them critically. Health care is difficult to access, with only half of the nation's facilities functioning. In Port-au-Prince, two out of the three major public hospitals are out of commission.
Children suffering from malnutrition can't get treatment.
“We are looking at a scenario where parents can no longer provide care and nutrition to their children as a result of ongoing violence, extreme poverty and a persistent economic crisis," said Geeta Narayan, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. "Lifesaving actions, such as screening children at risk for wasting and stunting, and ensuring malnourished children have access to therapeutic treatment, are needed now to save children’s lives."
Lifesaving actions, such as screening children at risk for wasting and stunting, and ensuring malnourished children have access to therapeutic treatment, are needed now to save children’s lives. — Geeta Narayan, UNICEF Representative in Haiti
Since the start of 2025, UNICEF and its partners have treated over 4,600 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) — less than 4 percent of the 129,000 children projected to need treatment for SAM this year. SAM is preventable and treatable, but fatal without timely interventions.
Related: How UNICEF fights child malnutrition
Protection, education, safe water, sanitation, health care and nutrition: UNICEF's impact in Haiti in 2024
UNICEF has managed to deliver vital services and support to some children despite many challenges. In 2024, UNICEF and partners reached:
- 85,000 children with mental health services
- over 121,000 children with formal and non-formal education, including at sites sheltering internally displaced families
- 57,000 people with improved access to safe water for drinking
- 95,000 individuals with improved sanitation, including inclusive facilities for those with disabilities
- nearly 30,000 families with cash assistance to help meet children's basic needs
- millions of people with vital information about vaccination and nutrition
Intensifying needs in the country continue to outweigh the response, however. The delivery of humanitarian aid in Haiti is increasingly constrained by funding shortfalls, in addition to insecurity and other access restrictions.
Related: UNICEF in Haiti
A dire situation for children includes protection risks
UNICEF's latest situation report, dated April 20, 2025, describes a dire situation where needs in Haiti are surpassing response capacity.
"Initial assessment findings indicate that the needs of displaced populations — sheltering in schools, churches and public buildings — are increasing weekly, despite initial [aid] distributions" UNICEF reported. "On the ground, many displaced families are living without consistent access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation, hygiene facilities, health care, food, electricity, sleeping materials and shelter. Symptoms of water-borne diseases, including acute watery diarrhea and vomiting, as well as air-borne infections, such as acute respiratory infections, have already been reported."
UNICEF also points to serious protection risks for children, particularly adolescents inside displacement camps due to lack of structured site management. "Immediate needs include the provision of gender-segregated toilet facilities and the establishment of community committees focused on women, children and waste management to mitigate risks for children and other vulnerable groups," according to the report. Read the latest update.
UNICEF continues to distribute WASH kits (water, sanitation and hygiene supplies) and to support water trucking services in crisis-affected areas. Plans are under way to deploy more mobile health clinics.
Donor support is urgently needed to help UNICEF close significant funding gaps and step up these and other interventions. Nutrition programming alone currently faces a 70 percent funding shortfall.
Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
