The IOM warns of the worsening of the humanitarian situation after a month of siege in Port-au-Prince
The head of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations, Martin Griffiths, announced this Wednesday that he has allocated 12 million dollars (11 million euros) from the Central Emergency Response Fund “to address the serious situation” in the Central American country. .
“Endless gang violence has displaced 50,000 people, pushed five million into acute famine and weakened an already fragile health system. These funds will allow humanitarian partners to reach those most affected,” he said through of your profile on social network X.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned of the worsening humanitarian situation after a month of siege of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and given the increase in violence this year that “has reached unprecedented levels.”
“While providing assistance was easier after the earthquakes, today it is an increasingly difficult task. Humanitarian personnel, including ours, face unprecedented security challenges, balancing the imperative of helping others with the stark reality of personal risk and displacement,” said IOM Haiti Director Philippe Branchat.
The crisis extends its reach beyond the capital, affecting communities across the country and leaving more than 360,000 people displaced. The organization has indicated that for the almost 100,000 internally displaced people, conditions are deplorable, with needs for access to food, medical care, water, psychological support and hygiene facilities.
In this sense, the IOM psychosocial team has identified cases with suicidal tendencies, especially among displaced populations, due to “a shadow of despair” caused by the lack of economic opportunities, a collapsed health system and closed schools. Added to this is an “arduous” process of obtaining a passport.
Despite the worsening security situation, 13,000 migrants have been returned to Haiti by neighboring countries in March, 46 percent more than the previous month. Almost 3,000 of them have received humanitarian assistance upon arrival, and another 1,200 migrants have benefited from psychosocial support.
