U.N. says 16,000 displaced in Haiti after armed attacks; humanitarian appeal remains severely underfunded

The United Nations reported Thursday that armed attacks in Haiti—orced more than 16,000 people to flee their homes in the country—enter department last week, adding to a humanitarian crisis that has already left more than 1.3 million people internally displaced.

According to the U.N. briefing, most displaced people have found refuge with host families; about 2% are staying in one of seven informal displacement sites. Displaced women and girls face heightened protection risks, including reported cases of sexual- and gender-based violence at some displacement sites.

U.N. humanitarian partners delivered emergency assistance in the first quarter: more than 720,000 people received emergency food aid, 25,000 people received emergency shelter kits and 35,000 received essential non-food items. Nearly 170,000 people gained access to safe drinking water and 55,000 accessed emergency sanitation facilities.

Despite ongoing relief efforts, the briefing emphasized that lack of funding is severely constraining the response. OCHA reported that Haiti's humanitarian appeal is the least funded among U.N. appeals, with $75,000,000 received against a $908,000,000 requirement.

The U.N. said it remains committed to coordinating with partners and national authorities to increase funding, facilitate access and address humanitarian needs, but warned that current funding levels limit the ability to reach people in need.

Ending: The briefing urged increased donor support to address immediate needs amid ongoing instability and disrupted services.