LHDDH Alerts on Alarming Surge in Essential Goods Prices

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— The Haitian League for Human Rights Defense (LHDDH) is sounding the alarm over the accelerated deterioration of food security in Haiti. In a report on the evolution of prices for essential goods between 2024 and 2025, the organization denounces a situation that has become unsustainable for a large majority of the population. According to the LHDDH, eating decently has now become a luxury for many households. The LHDDH emphasizes that its analysis does not include data for 2026. Nevertheless, it already highlights rapid food inflation, without any proportional improvement in incomes. In 2025, eating three meals a day, a basic nutritional standard, has become the exception rather than the norm, according to the report's authors. A Generalized Price Increase Without Income Improvement in an Exasperating Context This surge in prices is part of a multidimensional crisis. The unemployment rate, estimated at 15% in 2025, significantly reduces household purchasing power. This structural fragility is compounded by widespread insecurity that paralyzes economic circuits. Kidnappings, forced displacement of populations, market closures, abandonment of agricultural land, and blockades of strategic roads by armed groups disrupt access to production areas. The organization believes that these combined factors explain the scarcity and price increase of local products such as yam and banana. Spectacular Increases Observed in Markets Surveys conducted in several markets across the country show significant increases. A bag of imported rice rose from 2,500 gourdes in 2024 to approximately 3,500 gourdes in 2025. Black beans and Miami beans, sold at 500 gourdes per pot in 2024, reached up to 1,100 gourdes in 2025. Other basic products such as flour, sugar, butter, oil, milk, pasta... also show prices deemed «very high» by the LHDDH. Only a few products like corn or wheat remain at relatively stable levels. For the LHDDH, this is uncontrolled food inflation that severely impacts the most modest households. Eating: A Fundamental Right Now Under Threat Beyond the figures, the organization warns against the human consequences of this crisis. The price increase constitutes, according to the LHDDH, a serious violation of the right to food, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and several international instruments ratified by Haiti. Populations displaced due to armed violence are among the most vulnerable, often deprived of housing, income, and livelihoods. Food insecurity thus exacerbates an already critical humanitarian situation. Urgent Appeals to Authorities and International Partners Given this observation, the LHDDH calls on Haitian authorities to implement public policies capable of stabilizing prices and restoring security throughout the territory. The free movement of goods and people is, according to the LHDDH, essential for the revival of agricultural and commercial activities. The organization also urges the international community and humanitarian actors to strengthen their support for the most vulnerable populations. «The right to food is a fundamental human right, not a favor,» reminds the LHDDH. Determined to continue its monitoring, documentation, and advocacy work, the League affirms its ongoing mobilization to ensure that the human dignity and fundamental rights of the Haitian population are fully respected. Jean Mapou