Haiti

In 2019, the Haitian context was strongly marked by political, economic and social crises that resulted in violent demonstrations and repeated roadblocks. The almost total paralysis of the country during the months of February, June, September, and October 2019 hampered the functioning of essential sectors (political, economic, and public), aggravating the already critical humanitarian needs.

In July 2021, the assassination of the President of the Republic exacerbated these crises and the political situation in the country has remained highly complex and unpredictable ever since. An upsurge in gang violence has led to the displacement of hundreds of families and complicated the delivery of humanitarian aid to the southern regions. Access to food is very difficult for many households due to rising food prices. Access to water, hygiene and sanitation remains very difficult throughout the country, exposing the population to serious risks in the event of epidemics such as cholera. 26% of the population has no access to an improved water source (40% in rural areas). At the same time, nearly 1.6 million people are still in need of shelter and non-food items.

Due to its geographical position, the country is directly exposed to the crossing of cyclones and seismic shocks. According to the INFORM 2019 ranking, which takes into account factors such as exposure to risk, the situation of the affected populations and the complexity of the crisis, Haiti ranks as the 14th most vulnerable country in the world (out of 193).

In August 2021, the southwestern part of the country was hit by another  earthquake of a magnitude of 7.2, followed 2 days later by the passage of the tropical storm Grace causing flooding. 2,200 people died, 130,000 homes were destroyed, water systems were damaged and 650,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance in this already very vulnerable region (IPC 3 area with pockets of IPC 4 before the earthquake).

Declared in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has been added to this already volatile and fragile context in Haiti. From a health point of view, although the COVID-19 crisis has officially seen a significant decrease in incidence in the country, the consequences on households in precarious and vulnerable situations have been important (slowdown of the economy, isolation, curfew, quarantine, closure of the air, land and sea borders, closure of schools, etc.), leading to a decrease in income and an increase in the unemployment rate. In addition, the limited means of the health authorities distort the reading of the extent of the crisis, leading to fears of a greater impact than reported.