Haiti

Natural disasters, political insecurity and a lack of food have a huge impact on poor and vulnerable communities.

Haiti is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and a socio-political crisis has raged in the country since 2018.

Just after recovering from a decade of cholera epidemics, Haiti’s access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene remains a major concern.

The coronavirus pandemic has strained the already limited health system and government measures, including closing the borders, have led to a notable slowdown in the economy. Food prices have surged and many people, in particular women, have lost their income.

To make matters worse, a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country in August 2021, followed by Tropical Storm Grace. The deadly combination has killed more than 1,900, injured countless others and impacted an estimated 1.2 million people, almost half of whom are children

Country facts

473,388
Action Against Hunger's programmes reached over 470,000 people in Haiti in 2020.
11.3M
Haiti has a population of more than 11 million people.
21.9%
More than 20% of Haitian children under five suffer from malnutrition.

Action Against Hunger’s programmes in Haiti

Action Against Hunger’s work in Haiti includes food security and livelihoods projects and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes.

In 2020, our programmes involved:

screening 53,955 children under five for malnutrition
supporting 1,320 households with cash transfers
building and restoring 51 waterpoints and 62 latrines
supporting the government’s response to Covid-19 by working with healthcare staff to stop the spread of the virus and holding community awareness raising sessions

Helping to eradicate cholera in Haiti

Since cholera emerged in Haiti after the deadly earthquake in 2010, Action Against Hunger has been heavily involved in helping to eradicate the disease in the Artibonite and Northwest Departments of the country. We distributed hygiene kits to households in high-risk communities and held education sessions to encourage handwashing, improve sanitation and teach people how to treat water at home.

Trazilio is an Action Against Hunger chemist and lab technician who has helped support the effort to eradicate cholera in Haiti. There have been many challenges, but he’s now full of hope for the future.

“We do not have the same fear, because we are armed with knowledge. I am convinced we can eradicate cholera with the knowledge and tools we have now. When it is all over, it will be a huge accomplishment – a dream becoming real.”

Trazilio, Action Against Hunger Haiti