The European Commission has allocated 20 million euros in humanitarian aid to Haiti, where unprecedented levels of gang violence have significantly increased the humanitarian needs of the population across the country.

The funding will help humanitarian partners respond to the most urgent needs of the population, in terms of protection, food assistance, nutrition, water and sanitation and health care.

Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said : "We cannot remain indifferent as the humanitarian situation in Haiti sharply deteriorates. This new EU funding will help partners working in the field to provide urgent assistance to the most vulnerable populations."

The recent escalation of violence in several neighborhoods of the capital Port-au-Prince has forced some 25,000 additional people to flee their homes. Nearly a third of them are school-age children.

Violence and looting further hamper the population's access to food and water supplies (much of the capital now depends on water transport by truck).

Some 362,000 people are currently displaced in the country. Most of them live in spontaneous sites, without access to basic services such as food, health care, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Psychological support and protection are among the most urgent needs. Of particular concern is the impact of the violence on hospitals and health centers which are on the verge of collapse. Lack of access to health and water could contribute to the spread of cholera, which resurfaced in the country in 2022.

HL/ HaitiLibre