This represents an increase of 24 percent since December 2024 according to the UN Agency, the largest number of people displaced by the violence registered there.
“Behind these numbers there are so many individual people whose suffering is immeasurable; Children, mothers, elders, many of them forced to flee from their homes several times, often with nothing, and now live in conditions that are not safe or sustainable, “said Amy Pope, general director of the IOM.
Existential challenges
These figures were published just before a meeting on Wednesday at the UN Headquarters in New York organized by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Peace Conservation Commission (PBC) that examines how peace and stability can return to the island nation, after years of chaos and crisis.
The meeting discussed ways to consolidate peace at the local level and reduce violence, particularly through the participation of women and young people in local initiatives.
At a press conference before the meeting, the president of Ecosoc, Bob Rae, declared that the current situation in Haiti was “truly existential.”
“It is important that we have a significant discussion about what we can do together to address these problems,” he said, emphasizing that It is “not only to increase fire power.”
When joining the informative session through Videoconference, the special representative of the Secretary General of Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, also emphasized that this is a “multifaceted crisis” that must be addressed with similar dynamic and multifaceted solutions.
“We believe that the response of the international community must coincide with the scale, urgency and complexity of the challenge. That is why the strong international security support must be accompanied by measures to consolidate peace, humanitarian action and political support That could finally allow Haiti to advance on the way to sustainable development. “
According to her, a way to reduce violence in Haiti is to empower communities themselves, especially women and children, to direct new bold initiatives.
Violence extends
Haiti has been experiencing a resurgence of violence since mid -February. According to the IOM, while Port-Au Prince remains the epicenter of the crisis with 85 percent controlled by gang, the violence that extends beyond capital has intensified in recent months.
Recent attacks in the departments of the Center and Artibonite have forced tens of thousands of other residents to flee, many now live in precarious conditions and temporal shelters.
“Although approximately a quarter of all displaced people internally still live in the capital, A growing number of people flee to other parts of the country. In search of security, “said IOM.
In the Department of Artibonite in western Haiti, more than 92,000 people have been displaced, largely due to violence in Petite Rivière.
In the department of the center, the situation is even more “alarming” with a total of 147,000 displaced. This number has doubled 68,000 in recent months as a result of the fight in cities such as Mirebalais and Saut-D’Eau.
As more and more people are forced to flee, the number of spontaneous displacement sites is also increasing. Since December, these sites have increased from 142 to 246.
About 83 percent of refugees stay with host families, exercising tension in households already exaggerated, particularly in rural communities.
Pay attention and act
Armed violence continues to severely interrupt access to basic services, according to the UN Coordination Office, Ocha, creating a “deepest humanitarian crisis.”
“We must act urgently. The strength of the Haitian people is impressive, but Resilience cannot be your only refuge. This crisis cannot become the new normality, ”added Mrs. Pope.
The president of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, spoke at the Ecosoc meeting about the importance of adjusting “not only our attention but our action” and coordination efforts at the UN to maximize the impact.
“We must do our best to make sure that Haiti is not abandoned to a future of fear and despair. But instead, it is accepted by a global commitment to peace, opportunity and dignity, ”he said.