Haiti conflict pushes 17% of children close to famine, charity says

One in six children in Haiti is facing emergency food insecurity, just one step away from famine, according to a report from charity Save the Children published on Thursday.

Haiti is immersed in a social and political crisis, with particularly severe violence among armed groups in and around the capital Port-au-Prince.

The ongoing conflict has left 700,000 people internally displaced while some five million, nearly half of the population, struggle to feed themselves due to the crisis, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

Citing data from the IPC, Save the Children said that more than 760,000 children in Haiti face emergency food insecurity, with acute malnutrition and a heightened risk of hunger-related death.

The organization said that’s a 21% hike in the number of children at risk since March, due to the increasing armed violence in the country.

In addition to violence, Haiti is also dealing with soaring inflation that has pushed households to allocate 70% of their spending to food costs, the report added.

“Haiti is currently grappling with record high hunger levels, with gang violence, spiraling lawlessness and climate disasters sparking severe food shortages,” Save the Children said.

It also pointed out that “armed violence and a lack of available services and supplies are preventing Save the Children and other aid agencies from reaching many children and adults in need.”