(2024-08) Key Message Update: The uptick in insecurity reduces the impact of spring harvests on poor households' food consumption

Haiti - Key Message Update August 2024 The uptick in insecurity reduces the impact of spring harvests on poor households’ food consumption Key Messages A widespread Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes persist due to the continuing deterioration of the security situation in Haiti, where the activities of armed gangs are severely disrupting household livelihoods and market supplies. This persistent insecurity is causing significant difficulties for farmers with lower incomes than average, limiting their ability to consume staple foods. The situation is particularly worrying in the departments of Ouest and Artibonite, where violence and internal displacement are most concentrated. Cité Soleil is currently facing Emergency (IPC Phase 4), while Croix-desBouquets and communes in the lower Nord-Ouest (Bombardopolis, Baie de Henne, Mole Saint Nicolas) are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), with pockets of households in Emergency (IPC Phase 4). These conditions result from the violence and population displacement that have disrupted livelihoods and food supply chains in these regions. The security situation deteriorated considerably in July. According to ACLED, the number of violent events (battles, explosions, violence against civilians) more than doubled between June and July 2024 nationwide and almost tripled in the Ouest department, where more than 75 percent of incidents were recorded. In addition, throughout August, on National Route Number 2, where around 12 checking points have been installed by armed gangs, clashes between the latter and the police forces are disrupting public transport on this stretch, particularly the flow of local products from the Grand Sud to the capital and vice versa in the case of imported products. Deaths linked to the violence have also followed an alarming trend, increasing by 45 percent year-on-year and by over 90 percent month-on-month, from 80 in July 2023 to 60 in June 2024, then to 116 in July 2024. The situation in the departments of Ouest and Artibonite remains particularly critical, with more than 90 percent of violent events and deaths recorded in these areas. The Multinational Security Support Mission is currently being deployed, but its effectiveness is not yet visible. Gangs closely monitor its progress and are ready to exploit its potential weaknesses, raising fears of future escalation. Insecurity has also led to an increase in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). The progressive occupation of territories by gangs and the intensification of violence in certain areas forced thousands of people to leave their homes during July. According to IOM, 5,951 people, representing 1,551 households, were FEWS NET is a USAID-funded activity. The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the view of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. FEWS NET Haiti haiti@fews.net fews.net/latin-america-and-caribbean/haiti Key Message Update August 2024 displaced in mid-July (the most recent data available) following attacks in the commune of Ganthier in the Ouest department. The displaced have taken refuge with relatives or host families in the same commune. This massive displacement is putting considerable pressure on the limited resources of host households, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. At the same time, spring harvests failed to significantly improve household food consumption. Despite a slight improvement in the availability of local food products, agricultural production remains below the seasonal average due to various factors, including erratic rainfall, scarcity of seeds, decreasing in cultivated land, and high labor costs, exacerbated by widespread insecurity. The marginal improvement in food availability from the spring harvests of maize and beans has not been able to influence high commodity prices downwards and decreasing sources of income for poor households, as well as the continuing pressure exerted by displaced people on the resources of host households. The food market also showed scattered price variations from one market to another between June and July 2024. The price of imported rice (4% broken) remained stable in some markets such as Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves, Hinche, and Ouanaminthe, while other markets recorded significant declines, notably in Port-de-Paix (-20%), Jacmel (-12%), and Les Cayes (-9.4%). On average, rice prices fell by around 5 percent month-on-month but rose by 15 percent year-on-year and by 68 percent compared with the three-year average. On the other hand, corn fell by 7 percent month-on-month and 15 percent year-on-year, although its price remains 57.6 percent higher than the five-year average. These fluctuations reveal seasonal and short-term price declines but significant increases over the longer term, underlining ongoing pressure on agricultural markets due to insecurity, logistical disruptions, and climatic impacts. These elements highlight the complexity of the current situation in Haiti, where deep and persistent crises rapidly cancel out temporary improvements. Recommended citation: FEWS NET. Haiti Key Message Update August 2024: The uptick in insecurity reduces the impact of spring harvests on poor households’ food consumption, 2024. * FEWS NET's classifications are IPC-compatible. IPC-compatible analysis follows key IPC protocols but does not necessarily reflect the consensus of national food security partners. As of IPC 3.0, the IPC no longer assesses the impact of food assistance on classification and thus no longer maps the (!). However, FEWS NET continues to produce food security maps inclusive of the (!) as well as maps compatible with IPC 3.0/3.1, which include the mapping of food security assistance bags. FEWS NET and the IPC use different methods to estimate the total Population in Need of humanitarian food assistance and assess the risk of Famine. Learn more at www.fews.net/about. About Key Message Update This Key Message Update provides a high-level analysis of current acute food insecurity conditions and any changes to FEWS NET's latest projection of acute food insecurity outcomes in the specified geography. Learn more here. Famine Early Warning Systems Network 2