Humanitarian Action for Children 2021 (Revision 1, August 2021): Haiti

This first revision of UNICEF's 2021 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for Haiti follows the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the southwest of the country on 14 August 2021, with the three most affected departments being Sud, Grand'Anse and Nippes; the earthquake's impact was compounded by heavy rains from tropical depression Grace on 17 August. Official reports at the time indicated more than 2,200 deaths, over 12,000 people injured and 130,000 homes destroyed. The earthquake struck a country already reeling from the 7 July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and an escalation of gang violence that had affected 1.5 million people and displaced 19,000 since June 2021, with access constraints along the Port-au-Prince to South road corridor despite a negotiated humanitarian corridor.

Before the earthquake, the 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview had already found 4.4 million people food insecure and 217,000 children with global acute malnutrition; the earthquake was expected to worsen these figures further, with 3.2 million people needing health assistance and 4.3 million lacking access to basic WASH services. An estimated 100,000 children were affected by school damage in the earthquake zone, on top of over 3 million children already unable to attend school for months due to political, security and COVID-19-related disruptions.

The revised appeal requests USD 122.2 million, comprising USD 73.3 million for the earthquake response and USD 48.9 million for other humanitarian needs, to reach 1.6 million people including 800,757 children.