UN Agency Appeals for Aid to Feed Millions in Haiti
The World Food Programme (WFP) is making an urgent plea for $46 million to support approximately 2 million Haitians facing severe food insecurity over the coming six months.
Critical Hunger Levels
Lola Castro, WFP's regional director, recently highlighted the dire situation in Haiti, where escalating gang violence has displaced over 1 million people, leaving 5.7 million in urgent need of food. Of those, 2 million are in the two worst categories of hunger, with 8,500 facing catastrophic levels.
WFP's Strained Resources
Funding cuts, primarily from the United States, are severely impacting WFP's ability to provide assistance. The agency's food stocks are critically low, jeopardizing its capacity to respond to emergencies, including potential hurricanes.
Impact of Underfunding
Without additional resources, WFP will be forced to cut its school meal program in half, leaving 250,000 children without a daily meal. The requested $46 million would enable WFP to provide essential food, maintain school meals for 500,000 children, and offer social protection to vulnerable displaced populations.
A Call for Support
Castro urges the international community not to forget Haiti amidst other global crises and to provide generous support to prevent further catastrophe and alleviate hunger.