Haiti: Acute Food Insecurity Situation for September 2025 - February 2026 and Projection for March - June 2026

Armed gangs continue to expand territorial control within Haiti, driving over half of the population—nearly 5.7 million people—into high levels of acute food insecurity. Gang violence, coupled with a suffocating economy are leaving the Haitian people in a desperate situation.

Food security continues to deteriorate. Out of the 5.7 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity, classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), 17 percent of the population (1.9 million people) are facing Emergency levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 4), characterised by large food gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition. An additional 3.8 million people (34 percent of the population) face Crisis levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3).

The situation in Haiti is a complex, multi-dimensional crisis, marked by an economy that has been in steady decline for several years—recording economic recessions for the last six years—and attacks by armed gangs that have led to massive population displacements and the deterioration of livelihoods. Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicates that approximately 1.3 million people are now internally displaced in Haiti, a 24 percent increase compared to December 2024. Between June and July 2025, the number of internally displaced person (IDP) sites increased from 246 to 272. This increase is mainly due to displacement caused by armed attacks in the Centre department since April 2025.

Since mid-July, several armed attacks have affected the municipalities of Dessalines, Verettes, Liancourt, and Petite Rivière, located in the Lower Artibonite. Nearly 210,000 people were hosted in spontaneous sites in Haiti in July 2025. Despite the support of humanitarian actors, these people face overcrowding, characterised by precarious living conditions and a lack of sanitation facilities. This situation increases the risks of sexual violence, diseases such as cholera, and psychological distress for the displaced, who lack adequate access to drinking water, food, and healthcare.

Insecurity, which is prevalent in the metropolitan area and spreading further into the regions, is suffocating the Haitian economy. In areas occupied by armed groups, farmers who have managed to carry out their agricultural activities are forced not only to negotiate access to plots of land but also to share their produce. Households that relied on small businesses have been forced to abandon their sources of income and many people have lost their jobs due to the closure of certain businesses located in areas occupied by armed groups.

A deterioration is expected in the projection period (March to June 2026) in connection with the lean season with 5.91 million people (53 percent of the population) projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, including nearly 2 million people in Phase 4 and 3.9 million people in Phase 3.