Crisis in Haiti: Help children in urgent need

Haiti is experiencing some of the most widespread levels of hunger in the world. More than half its population is facing ‘crisis’ levels of food insecurity. Gang violence has reached unprecedented levels and families are in greater need than ever before. Children are being hit the hardest. They are hungry and in danger. If now is not the time to help Haiti, when is? 

When Mary's Meals started its school feeding programme in Haiti in 2006, hunger was already a significant barrier to children going to school. Today, the situation is far more severe. Living standards have collapsed as armed gangs have seized control, forcing Haiti into an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis. 

Initially, gangs were limited to urban environments around the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, but their grip is spreading to areas that were previously safe. Killings, child exploitations, trafficking, murder, and sexual violence are a daily occurrence, and children are at high risk of being recruited by gangs. Millions have been forced to flee and in just one year, the number of children displaced from their homes has almost doubled. Over 1.4 million people are internally displaced, some in camps which lack sanitation, food and security – and where women and children are most at risk of violence. In such conditions, cholera and malnutrition are on the rise. 

We’re also witnessing record levels of hunger – 5.7 million people do not have enough food to eat. It’s projected that this will increase when the lean season begins: the period between planting and harvesting, when food availability is at its lowest. 

A disrupted education 

Education has not been spared by the chaos, and delivering our school feeding programme is challenging. We work with three expert local partners in Haiti, and, under normal circumstances, our meals reach more than 196,000 children in more than 670 places of education. But, with the current crisis, the number of schools that are open and accessible for food deliveries changes from one day to the next. Some have closed due to the violence, and there are times when we cannot deliver meals because the area or delivery routes are under gang control. The safety of students, school staff, delivery teams, and our partners is our priority, and no visit is made if the risk is deemed too high. We trust our partners implicitly and we know whenever they can deliver food safely, they will. 

The challenges we face

Under such conditions, it’s costing more than ever to deliver daily school meals. It’s increasingly challenging and expensive to buy food. Food prices – both imported and local – are some of the most expensive across our programmes globally, and the price of fuel and other essential equipment has surged. 

A few years ago, a 100km journey to transport food supplies from a local supplier to a partner warehouse took less than five hours, using a main motorway. That same delivery is now several hundred kilometres long and takes several days as trucks must take detours to avoid driving through gang-controlled areas. Sometimes, they’re forced to abandon roads altogether and use boats. 

Despite these challenges, Mary’s Meals remains committed to the children we serve. Haiti is in crisis and children are living in devastating conditions. They need us more than ever. Their safety is under threat. As long as we can do so reliably and safely, we will be there for them, ensuring that they eat a daily meal in their place of education. Our meals are so much more than just food. They are a vital safety net, providing a much-needed sense of normality, routine and safety for a generation surrounded by chaos. 

Haiti’s children are running out of options. With food being used to lure hungry children into armed gangs, the need for Mary’s Meals is more urgent now than ever. 

We need your support to keep our promise to the children we serve in Haiti and show them that there is hope beyond the violence. Donate now  and help us keep them fed and safe in school, where they can learn and dream again.   

Paige Boxshall is a Programmes Relationship Manager at Mary’s Meals, working with our partners in Haiti to deliver our school feeding programme.