Haiti: WFP Temporarily Suspends Work in Hazardous Areas

On Wednesday, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) temporarily suspended its activities in areas where there is currently a high level of danger due to the presence of criminal gangs.

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In early February, more than 370,000 people did not benefit from food aid provided by the organization because armed groups made roads inaccessible, the daily Haiti Libre reported.

Recently, the WFP called for more access to the work of aid agencies in Haiti to prevent the already appalling levels of hunger from becoming catastrophic.

In a statement, the agency urged allowing the free flow of foodstuffs amid sustained attacks on civilians by armed groups, increased displacement and unrest in the violence-stricken country.

According to the text, 44 percent of the country's inhabitants currently face acute food insecurity and struggle to feed their families.

WFP Country Director Jean-Martin Bauer said the increased violence led to the blocking of freight routes, restrictions on movement and the closure of schools, forcing the temporary suspension of many WFP activities across the country.

"We cannot afford to lose ground when 1.4 million Haitians are facing emergency levels of hunger. We risk seeing the most vulnerable people fall into famine-like conditions unless we can effectively deliver assistance," he warned.

The UN agency warned that children are the most affected by the latest wave of violence and unrest, after the closure of school

"We cannot afford to lose ground when 1.4 million Haitians face emergency levels of hunger. We risk seeing the most vulnerable people fall into famine-like conditions unless we can effectively deliver assistance," he warned.

The UN agency warned that children are the hardest hit by the latest wave of violence and unrest, after school closures deprived nearly 300 pupils of daily hot meals provided by WFP and its partners.

These are for many the only full meal of the day, WFP lamented in its statement.

In Port-au-Prince, the capital, the program was also unable to deliver rations to 56,000 people in the Cité Soleil neighborhood, nor food to central kitchens supplying newly displaced people.

This year, WFP plans to support 2.4 million Haitians through emergency assistance with cash and in-kind food rations, as well as school meals and longer-term programs to help Haitians produce their own food.