UN agencies report sharp rise in internal displacement in Haiti, now about 1.3 million

At the press briefing, Farhan said colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Organization for Migration have reported a steep rise in internal displacement in Haiti, with nearly 1,300,000 people now displaced across the country.

Farhan said the figure represents a roughly 24% increase since December 2024 and is the highest recorded number of people displaced by violence in Haiti. He said Port‑au‑Prince remains the epicenter of armed group violence but that violence has expanded into other regions, notably the Centre and Artibonite departments.

The briefing included department‑level details: the Centre department’s displaced population more than doubled from about 68,000 in December 2024 to more than 140,000; Artibonite saw more than 90,000 people displaced since December; and the North department experienced an increase of nearly 80% in displaced persons. Farhan said displaced families often settle in informal sites or stay with host families with limited access to basic services; 83% of displaced people are hosted by families.

Farhan described how IOM has scaled up operations in metropolitan Port‑au‑Prince, reaching over 20,000 people with essential household items, delivering 3,000,000 liters of clean water, and providing basic health care to 6,000 people. He said mental health and psychosocial support had been extended to more than 88,500 people.

OCHA warned that the deterioration in displacement is occurring while humanitarian access is increasingly restricted and funding remains critically low, and Farhan said the UN has stressed urgent support is needed to prevent deeper crisis and additional pressure on overstretched communities.