EU releases €10 million to tackle unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Haiti

The EU announced the release of emergency funding of €10 million to respond to the unprecedented increase in humanitarian needs in Haiti. This brings the humanitarian funding committed for Haiti this year to €18.5 million.

People in Haiti face the consequences of overlapping crises fuelled by widespread violence, the ongoing economic collapse, and a cholera epidemic. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Haiti has doubled over the past five years reaching 5.2 million, nearly half of the country’s population.

In relation to the total population, the percentage of Haitians facing levels of emergency food insecurity is the second highest in the world. The rapid worsening of the situation in Haiti has also induced a mass exodus and a spillover of the humanitarian crisis to other countries in the region.

The emergency funding released by the EU aims to enable humanitarian organizations to step up their response and tackle the most urgent needs, primarily focusing on food and nutrition.

The funding will also support healthcare, cash assistance, protection, and logistics, in both rural and urban areas.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Hunger, widespread violence, disease outbreaks, disasters. When we ask ourselves how much suffering a human being can take, we should remember that people in Haiti are enduring all of this and much more. The EU has not forgotten them. While celebrating this fruitful partnership between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing relief to people in Haiti remains our utmost concern and priority in the region.”