PORT-AU-PRINCE: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Haiti’s government have jointly launched a $21 million appeal to provide crucial assistance to tens of thousands of people displaced by escalating gang violence in the neighborhoods of Carrefour-Feuilles and Savanes Pistaches in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
The surge in gang violence has forced many residents to flee their homes, seeking refuge in improvised sites instead of host communities. This has resulted in increased vulnerabilities, with families struggling to meet basic needs and facing inadequate shelter and crowded living conditions, exacerbating tensions and contributing to violence.
According to the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), nearly 200,000 people are now internally displaced in Haiti. Approximately 70,000 of them reside in inadequate and precarious spontaneous settlements and collective centers, while 31,000 are sleeping in the open air, and 34,000 are crammed into classrooms.
Aid Distribution in Crisis-hit Haiti
The Shelter Cluster, co-led by IOM and the Haitian government, is working to address the crisis by distributing essential items such as blankets, mats, water storage containers, emergency shelter kits, and kitchen sets to 70,000 people. Additionally, 53 collective centers for displaced individuals will receive equipment and repairs, and cash assistance will be provided to 130,000 people living with host families. IOM is also assisting vulnerable individuals in moving from displacement sites to more suitable housing.
The situation has led to secondary displacement and increased vulnerabilities, as host families’ capacity to support displaced persons has been exhausted. Over 115,000 Haitians have been forcibly returned from neighboring countries, further complicating the reintegration process due to a lack of proper identification.
IOM data reveals that nearly 22 percent of those repatriated were previously displaced within Haiti, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable, long-term solutions to internal displacement. While immediate life-saving assistance remains crucial, efforts to address the root causes of displacement must be accelerated, the UN agency emphasized.
