An upsurge in violence by armed gangs in Haiti’s West and Artibonite departments has displaced over 40,000 people, disrupting access to essential services such as health care, protection, and education. The violence has devastated communities, with 21,770 people displaced in Arcahaie alone in October, while attacks in Pont-Sondé resulted in 100 fatalities and 6,742 people fleeing to Saint-Marc. Most displaced individuals are staying with host families, while others are scattered across newly established displacement sites. Women and girls, particularly those forced to flee their homes, face mounting risks, including limited access to health care and gender-based violence (GBV) services, as well as increased vulnerability to exploitation and negative coping mechanisms such as transactional sex. Humanitarian access has worsened, with 131 access incidents reported nationwide between August and October 2024, most in the West and Artibonite departments, further obstructing critical aid delivery.
UNFPA has worked closely with implementing partners and local authorities to address these urgent needs. In collaboration with the Artibonite Health Department, UNFPA-supported mobile clinics provided SRH and GBV services to 7,057 people in October, including 165 pregnant women and 87 individuals with disabilities. Capacity-building efforts included training 22 SRH service providers in managing obstetric emergencies, and cash transfers of US$ 350 were distributed to 292 women at risk of or recovering from GBV to support food security, education, and income generation. UNFPA also delivered essential medical equipment, medicines, and dignity kits to health facilities and displacement sites, strengthening emergency obstetric care, clinical management of rape, and SRH services. Over 1,800 people participated in awareness-raising sessions on GBV prevention, family planning, and available health services. Psychosocial support and group therapy were provided to 127 individuals at safe spaces, focusing on women and adolescents under 17.
Despite these critical interventions, UNFPA’s 2024 appeal for US$ 28 million to expand life-saving SRH and GBV services in Haiti remains severely underfunded, with only 19% of the required funding — US$ 5.4 million — secured as of October 2024. Without additional resources, the ability to meet the growing and urgent needs of displaced women and girls remains critically at risk.
