Haiti is an extremely fragile state, vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards. It is also the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean, with almost 77% of its citizens living with less than  EUR 2 a day. The socio-political situation keeps deteriorating, with increasing violence and criminality, notably in the capital’s urban area. The country requires humanitarian assistance due to the food crisis and malnutrition, the needs generated by urban violence, the ongoing migration crisis and the impact of extreme weather events and natural hazards.

Haiti has been facing a food crisis for the last 4 years: 4.4 million people, more than 40% of the population, are currently acutely food insecure, including 1.3 million living in an emergency situation. The global rise in food and fuel prices due to Russia´s war against Ukraine, the national currency depreciation, political instability, gang violence and market disruptions might worsen the situation.

With EUR 451 million allocated since 1994, Haiti is the main recipient of EU humanitarian aid in Latin America and the Caribbean. The EU has provided humanitarian aid to victims of major disasters and crises in Haiti, including the current humanitarian needs related to the violent context, the effects of the 2021 earthquake in the southern peninsula, the COVID-19 pandemic and food shortages and malnutrition in recent years. Since 1998, the EU has also invested some EUR 38 million in its disaster preparedness programme, aiming to put in place early warning systems and rapid response capacities.