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U.N. agencies report widespread child malnutrition and massive school closures in Haiti
Summary
The U.N. said violence-driven displacement and insecurity in Haiti have driven acute malnutrition among children and led to widespread school closures, while funding for the response remains insufficient.
The U.N. spokesperson, Steph, said humanitarian partners report severe and growing nutrition and education crises in Haiti as violence and displacement constrain access.
Why it matters: The spokesperson said screening and treatment for child malnutrition continue but resources are inadequate and insecurity is blocking operations; the report cited by the spokesperson warned millions face high levels of acute food insecurity.
Details from the briefing: The spokesperson said partners have screened more than 217,000 children for acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year and that more than 21,500 children have been admitted for treatment of severe acute malnutrition. The U.N. cited an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis estimating about 5,700,000 people faced high levels of acute food insecurity between March and June of this year.
On education, the spokesperson said that as of mid-July more than 1,600 schools remained closed, an increase of two-thirds since the start of the year. UNICEF was reported to be providing learning opportunities to about 16,000 children and mental-health and psychosocial support to over 100,000 children.
Funding shortfalls: The spokesperson said Haiti’s appeal remains among the least funded and that, "more than halfway through the year we received less than 9%" of the required funds; the transcript included an unclear dollar figure for the full appeal, which was not specified in the briefing.
Outlook: The U.N. called for increased funding and improved security to allow humanitarian actors to expand screening, treatment and education services for children in Haiti.
