IOM director warns Haiti faces dire humanitarian crisis amid funding and security shortfalls

Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), told a United Nations Correspondents Association briefing on Oct. 26, 2025, that Haiti’s humanitarian situation is “complicated, complex, [and] dire,” with substantial barriers to getting aid to people in need.

Pope said the capital, Port-au-Prince, is about 85% controlled by gangs, making road access unsafe and unpredictable for humanitarian workers and diplomats. “It is impossible for people to go in and out of the capital city safely by road,” she said, and noted that even air travel by helicopter is unreliable.

The IOM chief said roughly 1 million people have been displaced in recent months and described displacement sites in the capital as tightly packed with limited sanitation, hygiene and protection, particularly for women and girls. Pope said children at sites have little or no access to formal education and that food insecurity is high.

Pope warned that security shortfalls and funding cuts are compounding the crisis. She said the multinational security support (MSS)…