Armed groups control much of Port-au-Prince, forcing more than 1,4 million people to flee their homes and depriving them of access to food, health, water, and education services.
Half the population does not have enough to eat, and child malnutrition is increasing significantly. Humanitarian efforts are hampered by insecurity and blocked access routes.
According to the UN, six million people out of Haiti's population of around 11,4 million will need some kind of humanitarian aid in 2026.
Why is it important to fund Haiti?
Humanitarian aid in Haiti is a lifeline for millions of people. The United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan for 2026 requests $880 million to help 4,2 million of the six million vulnerable people in the country. The goal is to cover basic emergency services such as food, shelter, protection, health, and education.
Without these resources, essential lifesaving operations, such as nutritional support for children and protection services for women and girls, cannot reach all those who need them.
UN agencies stress that sufficient donor funding is essential, not only to save lives, but also to stabilize communities devastated by violence and displacement.
Thus, the violence perpetrated by armed groups has forced 1,4 million people , 12% of the population, to flee , leaving them without health care or security, and children without education.
Thousands of people have died as a result of gang violence in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.
What does the UN say?
The top UN humanitarian official in the Caribbean country, Nicole Boni Kouassi, stated that a high level of funding was needed "to preserve the life and dignity of all Haitians and keep the hope of younger generations alive."
In August 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed donors and stated that “ Haiti continues to be shamefully ignored and sadly underfunded .”
Which services have been reduced?
- regular access to food
- access to drinking water
- primary health care
- education
- social protection services
A child rescued at sea from a migrant boat is handed over to Haitian authorities by the United States Coast Guard.
Why is it so difficult to raise funds
Despite the scale of the needs, Haiti's humanitarian appeal is among the least funded in the world. In 2025, the UN requested $908 million, but only received 24% of that amount.
The accumulation of global crises, donor fatigue, and attention focused on other emergencies, such as those in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza , have left Haiti without the necessary resources.
The lack of funding also jeopardizes essential operations, such as humanitarian air services, which are often the only means of reaching isolated communities.
The result: UN agencies are forced to prioritize the most urgent cases, while many are left without assistance.
Consequences
The lack of funds is jeopardizing stability beyond its borders.
The United Nations International Organization for Migration ( IOM ) warned that rampant violence, mass displacement, and a lack of basic services are fueling:
• irregular migration
• increased pressure on neighboring countries
• the weakening of regional cooperation on economic and security matters
Persistent instability also increases the likelihood of secondary crises, such as public health emergencies and cross-border crime, with ripple effects throughout the Caribbean and the Americas.
In this context, donor participation is an investment in regional resilience.
Trucks transporting aid to Haitians are loaded onto boats to avoid areas controlled by gangs.
What will happen next?
At the end of 2025, the UN officially launched the Haiti Humanitarian Response Plan for 2026 , urging governments and partners to increase their commitments to preserving life and dignity amid the violence.
Humanitarian aid agencies plan to expand food assistance, restore basic services, strengthen protection for vulnerable groups, and lay the groundwork for a longer-term recovery.
But if the Plan is not funded, living conditions for millions of Haitians will worsen and humanitarian needs will increase. As of early February, the appeal for 2026 had received less than 4% of the requested funding.