Haiti Crisis: Gang Violence Escalates, UN Agency Appeals for Urgent Funding

Haiti remains gripped by a devastating crisis, with the Artibonite and Centre departments, alongside the capital, Port-au-Prince, bearing the brunt of relentless gang violence. The situation is dire, marked by escalating home burnings, kidnappings, and sexual violence, forcing an estimated 1.4 million people to flee their homes and claiming countless lives.

Amidst this harrowing reality, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and its implementing partners are demonstrating remarkable resilience. They continue to deliver critical Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services and combat gender-based violence (GBV), reaching thousands of individuals in the first quarter of 2026. The distribution of dignity kits to displaced women and girls, along with essential reproductive health kits to health facilities, underscores the vital support being provided under extremely challenging circumstances.

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Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and combating gender-based violence.

However, the scale of the need far outstrips the available resources. UNFPA's urgent appeal for $32.8 million to bolster these life-saving services highlights the precarious funding situation. With only $1.8 million received to date—a mere 5.5% of the required amount—the agency faces a critical shortfall. This lack of adequate funding jeopardizes the continuation and expansion of essential health and protection services for women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by the ongoing violence and instability. From our perspective in Haiti, the international community's response, while present, is critically insufficient to address the escalating humanitarian catastrophe.

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We are appealing for $32.8 million to strengthen and extend access to vital sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence prevention and response services in Haiti in 2026.