Famine in Haiti
Vienna/Haiti – „Although violence has decreased here in the western part of the island, we are fighting for survival,“ said CiN project partner Pastor Benoit in mid-October, summarizing the humanitarian situation in Haiti.
Daily food uncertain for half of the population
Armed groups have caused immeasurable suffering, especially among women and children. The United Nations estimated that more than one million people were displaced in 2024. Famine is spreading: according to the UN, almost half of the Haitian population suffered from acute food insecurity in 2024. „It has become dangerous for trucks to travel by land, especially around the capital Port-au-Prince, because gangs control the highways. It is difficult to get to us on the other side of the island,“ explains Pastor Benoit. Overall, this means that there is less food in circulation.
Blackmail money
All of this is reflected in the price: truck drivers have to pay for passage at the gang‘s checkpoints. In addition, food and other important goods have to be reloaded several times. For example, from the truck to the ship and then back onto the truck again in order to bypass centers of violence.
Triple prize
When the goods finally reach the port city of Port-á-Piment, Pastor Benoit often has to pay exorbitant prices: „Before the crisis, a 50-kilogram sack of rice cost us $50. Now it costs three times as much. There are cheaper varieties, but they are not always available.“
Seeds washed away
Pastor Benoit ministers to the community of Dolian in the mountainous hinterland of Haiti. Before the recent outbreaks of violence, which have continued since the assassination of the last president, Jovenel Moïse, in 2021, Dolian was a tiny village with few resources. Even then, agriculture was not working. During the dry seasons, there was too little rain, and instead of steady rainy periods, there were isolated, very heavy showers that flooded the fields. The little that did grow afterwards was not enough to feed everyone.
Meals for children
When many displaced families came to Dolian in 2021, the situation worsened. To ease tensions, CiN is helping where it hurts most: with food. Thanks to our donors, schoolchildren in Dolian are learning what charity means in the form of warm meals. This takes the pressure off parents. The children no longer go hungry and can concentrate on school.
