Haiti: 60% More Internally Displaced People

Campament of Displaced in Haiti, June 2024 photo: @africanews

June 20, 2024 Hour: 3:20 pm

The centre of the violence is Port-au-Prince, the capital, and many people have been displaced to other areas by the continued siege of armed groups.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicated in a report published on Tuesday that the number of internally displaced persons increased to 578,074 due to the most recent spiral of violence that has broken out in the country.

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IOM Director Philippe Branchat said: «These figures are a direct consequence of the spiral of violence that reached a new milestone in February», adding that in the first half of this year the figure is almost the same as that of all 2023.

Branchat said Haiti’s endless crisis is pushing more people to flee their homes and leave everything behind. This is not something they do lightly. Moreover, for many of them it is not the first time».

Almost all internally displaced persons are received by communities that already had insufficient infrastructure, some of which were severely damaged by the 2021 earthquake, such as areas in the south, who are now sheltering nearly half the population who have fled their homes.

Près de 580 000 personnes sont déplacées à l'intérieur d'Haïti, soit une augmentation de 60 % depuis mars.

L'OIM travaille avec des partenaires et les autorités locales pour fournir une aide humanitaire et soutenir des solutions durables.
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— IOM Haiti (@IOMHaiti) June 20, 2024

The text reads
Nearly 580,000 people are internally displaced in Haiti, an increase of 60% since March. IOM works with partners and local authorities to provide humanitarian assistance and support durable solutions.

Moreover, goods such as medicines and fuel from the capital have been limited, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, two thirds of the displaced live in spontaneously formed sites with very little access to basic services.

According to the report, educational institutions account for 39 percent of the 96 active displacement sites and host 61,000 people, limiting students’ attendance at school.

Displaced persons and Haitian communities urgently need decent employment opportunities, equal access to basic services and education.