The number of people in food insecurity doubled between 2018 and 2019. The decline in agricultural productivity caused by rainfall deficits and the significant deterioration of the socio-economic situation are the main causes.

Today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that about 2.6 million people are in a situation of food insecurity.

More than 2 million of them are in acute food and livelihood crisis (IPC3) and 571,000 in humanitarian emergency phase (IPC4). A situation that is expected to worsen in the coming months. Indeed, several departments (North, North-West, North-East, West and South-East) continue to experience a rainfall deficit which has strongly impacted the harvests of the winter season (representing 20% ​​of national production).

The forecasts for the spring campaign (which represents 60% of the national production) are very pessimistic. This water deficit also affects livestock-related activities, making critical the situation in Haiti's pastoral areas.

Learn more about the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) :

Phase 3 : Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis

Highly stressed and critical lack of food access with high and above usual malnutrition and accelerated depletion of livelihood assets that, if continued, will slide the population into Phase 4 or 5 and / or likely result in chronic poverty.

Phase 4 : Humanitarian Emergency

Severe lack of food access with excess mortality, very high and increasing malnutrition, and irreversible livelihood asset stripping.

Learn more about the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) :

Phase 1 :

Usually adequate and stable food access with moderate to low risk of sliding into Phase 3, 4, or 5.

Phase 2 : Moderately / Borderline Food Insecure

Borderline adequate food access with recurrent high risk (due to probable hazard events and high vulnerability) of sliding into Phase 3, 4, or 5.

Phase 3 : Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis

Highly stressed and critical lack of food access with high and above usual malnutrition and accelerated depletion of livelihood assets that, if continued, will slide the population into Phase 4 or 5 and / or likely result in chronic poverty.

Phase 4 : Humanitarian Emergency

Severe lack of food access with excess mortality, very high and increasing malnutrition, and irreversible livelihood asset stripping.

Phase 5 : Famine / Humanitarian Catastrophe

Extreme social upheaval with complete lack of food access and / or other basic needs where mass starvation, death, and displacement are evident.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27909-haiti-agriculture-drought-disrupts-the-spring-campaign-2019.html

HL/ HaitiLibre