Sat Oct 11 06:47:14 UTC 2025: **News Article: Haiti Faces Catastrophic Hunger Crisis as Gang Violence Chokes Aid**
**Port-au-Prince, Haiti -** A grim forecast predicts that more than half of Haiti’s population will be facing critical food shortages by mid-2026, with gang violence crippling aid efforts and exacerbating an already dire economic situation.
A report released Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) revealed that a staggering 5.7 million Haitians, out of a population of approximately 11 million, are already experiencing severe hunger. Nearly 2 million are at emergency hunger levels. The situation is expected to worsen significantly as the country enters its lean season, with projections indicating that almost 6 million people will be acutely hungry by 2026.
Armed groups control an estimated 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have extended their reach into vital agricultural regions. This control disrupts agricultural production, hinders the delivery of crucial aid, and forces farmers to negotiate with gangs for access to their land.
The escalating violence has displaced 1.3 million people from their homes, a 24% increase since December.
Haiti is experiencing its sixth consecutive year of recession, and food prices have soared, increasing 33% last July compared to the previous year.
The crisis disproportionately affects children, with 680,000 displaced by violence and over 1,000 schools forced to shut down.
While the international community recently authorized a 5,550-member “gang suppression force,” the security situation remains precarious. Gunfire erupted in downtown Port-au-Prince just this week, highlighting the instability that continues to plague the nation.
Martine Villeneuve, Haiti director at Action Against Hunger, cautioned that despite some progress, the situation remains fragile without substantial long-term investments to address the root causes of the crisis.
First Piper 