Majorie Edoi, a mother of three, used to sell food from a stand in Port-au-Prince, Haiti until armed conflict with gangs disrupted supply chains and pushed the country into a severe food crisis. Now, she sells food in makeshift camps for displaced people. The violence has left about five million Haitians struggling to feed themselves, with armed gangs taking over the capital and farmlands, causing chaos and insecurity.
The arrival of a United Nations-backed police force has brought some hope to residents, but change is urgently needed for people like Edoi and Mirriam Auge, who rely on food rations from NGOs amidst the ongoing violence. The World Food Programme is working to shorten supply chains and source food locally to avoid gang-controlled roads and ports, but faces challenges due to insufficient resources.
The root of Haiti’s food crisis traces back to decades of policies that favored imported goods over local production, leading to dependence on foreign rice and leaving farmers vulnerable to gang violence and extortion. Children are especially affected, with many forced into gangs or prostitution to survive.
In order to bring stability to Haiti, a comprehensive approach combining security measures and robust humanitarian assistance is necessary. The country’s future depends on addressing the urgent hunger crisis affecting its citizens.