The United States Government has provided new funding to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver emergency food assistance to at least 390,000 people in Haiti over the next 18 months, according to a press release issued by WFP on April 22, 2026. The contribution, channeled through the Food for Peace program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, includes U.S.-origin rice, beans, and vegetable oil. The support targets Haiti’s most vulnerable communities at a time of acute food insecurity across the country.
Haiti is currently facing a severe food crisis, with 5.9 million people — more than half of all Haitians — enduring acute or higher levels of food insecurity. In 2025, WFP assisted more than 2.7 million Haitians through its programmes. The country also remains highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, and floods. WFP currently provides school meals to more than 600,000 school children, which for many students represents the only meal of the day. This context underscores the urgency and scale of the new contribution.
The funding will allow WFP to distribute four monthly rations to 227,500 Haitians experiencing emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4), as well as recently displaced families. WFP will also supply fortified cereal and special nutritious food to targeted households, alongside malnutrition screening and education sessions. To prepare for the 2026 hurricane season, 3,300 metric tonnes of food commodities will be prepositioned as emergency reserves. Additionally, the contribution will expand WFP’s school meals programme by 100,000 elementary-aged school children during the 2026-27 school year, primarily in conflict-affected areas of Port-au-Prince.
Wanja Kaaria, WFP Country Director in Haiti, emphasized the importance of the partnership.
“Thanks to the United States’ longstanding and steadfast partnership, WFP can respond effectively to the most urgent needs of vulnerable Haitian families,” she said. “This contribution is more than food — it’s a lifeline for families who have lost their livelihoods and are struggling to put meals on the table.” Kaaria added that the support “represents hope and solidarity at a moment when it’s most needed, helping to create conditions that foster stability and support the pursuit of peace.”
With this new funding, WFP will continue to strengthen and expand its collaboration with the Government of Haiti, local partners, and the international community. The programme covers emergency food assistance, school meals, and child malnutrition prevention. Prepositioned reserves will ensure rapid response capacity ahead of the 2026 hurricane season. The school meals expansion will reach children primarily in schools located in conflict-affected areas of Port-au-Prince. Together, these measures reinforce WFP’s ongoing emergency response across Haiti.
