Haiti Faces Food Insecurity: Worrying Indicators and an Announced Response Plan
The IPC classification results presented by the CNSA confirm the scale of the food crisis in Haiti, where 5.7 million inhabitants face persistent food insecurity, with 2 million in an emergency situation.
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
The results of the IPC classification presented by the CNSA confirm the scale of the food crisis in Haiti, where 5.7 million inhabitants face persistent food insecurity, with 2 million in an emergency situation. Faced with an alarming situation affecting more than half of the population, authorities promise a profound reform of food governance.
This Friday, October 10, 2025, the results of the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) were presented, an initiative organized by the National Food Security Coordination (CNSA).
This feedback session took place in the presence of Advisor-President Louis Gérald Gilles, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, Axène Joseph, the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Vernet Joseph, as well as representatives from FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP), and several technical and institutional partners.
A Worsening Crisis
According to the published data, 5.7 million Haitians are currently in a food crisis, with nearly 2 million in an emergency phase. These figures reflect the severity of a situation that has been steadily deteriorating for several years.
“These data are not mere statistics. They represent families, children, entire communities facing precarity and hunger,” stated a Presidency statement after the activity.
The Causes of Persistent Food Insecurity
For Harmel Cazeau, CNSA representative, the current situation is the result of an accumulation of unfavorable factors.
In 2017, approximately 18% of the Haitian population was food insecure. Eight years later, this rate has almost tripled. For him, this progression is explained by several elements : The deterioration of the security situation, which would prevent the circulation of agricultural products and limit access to markets; Repeated natural disasters that destroy harvests and rural infrastructure; The economic crisis, especially marked by inflation, the fall in purchasing power, and unemployment; And the decrease in agricultural production due to the abandonment of hundreds of hectares of arable land because of insecurity. “Finding enough to eat remains an unanswered question for 5.7 million Haitians,” emphasized Mr. Cazeau, recalling the primary mission of the CNSA: to collect, analyze, and update data on food security at the household and community level, in both rural and urban areas, including in displaced persons camps. An Announced Structural Reform Faced with this alarming situation, the Transitional Presidential Council and the government launched the Food and Nutritional Security Crisis Repair and Response Plan.
This plan aims to:
rapidly mobilize available resources,
ensure transparent financial monitoring,
and strengthen food sector governance. The Advisor-President also announced the transformation of the CNSA into the National Office for Food and Nutritional Security, a measure intended to ensure more effective coordination and a better-adapted response to emergencies. Agriculture at the Heart of the Response For his part, the Minister of Agriculture, Vernet Joseph, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combat the structural causes of food insecurity and malnutrition.
He mentioned the loss of hundreds of hectares of arable land due to armed violence and the forced abandonment of certain production areas. According to him, the new mapping and classification work undertaken by the CNSA will allow interventions to be guided in a more targeted and effective manner.
“Thanks to this initiative, we will be able to better plan actions and assist the most vulnerable areas,” declared the minister, also acknowledging the support of the World Bank and international partners. Call for National Solidarity In conclusion, Advisor-President Louis Gérald Gilles issued a call for collective responsibility: “Together, we can save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen the country's food resilience.” Through this initiative and this affirmed political will, Haiti is trying to regain control of its food destiny. But for these promises to translate into concrete results, a sustained mobilization of all actors – public, private, and community – will be necessary. The editorial team
In 2017, approximately 18% of the Haitian population was food insecure. Eight years later, this rate has almost tripled. For him, this progression is explained by several elements : The deterioration of the security situation, which would prevent the circulation of agricultural products and limit access to markets; Repeated natural disasters that destroy harvests and rural infrastructure; The economic crisis, especially marked by inflation, the fall in purchasing power, and unemployment; And the decrease in agricultural production due to the abandonment of hundreds of hectares of arable land because of insecurity. “Finding enough to eat remains an unanswered question for 5.7 million Haitians,” emphasized Mr. Cazeau, recalling the primary mission of the CNSA: to collect, analyze, and update data on food security at the household and community level, in both rural and urban areas, including in displaced persons camps. An Announced Structural Reform Faced with this alarming situation, the Transitional Presidential Council and the government launched the Food and Nutritional Security Crisis Repair and Response Plan.
This plan aims to:
rapidly mobilize available resources,
ensure transparent financial monitoring,
and strengthen food sector governance. The Advisor-President also announced the transformation of the CNSA into the National Office for Food and Nutritional Security, a measure intended to ensure more effective coordination and a better-adapted response to emergencies. Agriculture at the Heart of the Response For his part, the Minister of Agriculture, Vernet Joseph, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combat the structural causes of food insecurity and malnutrition.
He mentioned the loss of hundreds of hectares of arable land due to armed violence and the forced abandonment of certain production areas. According to him, the new mapping and classification work undertaken by the CNSA will allow interventions to be guided in a more targeted and effective manner.
“Thanks to this initiative, we will be able to better plan actions and assist the most vulnerable areas,” declared the minister, also acknowledging the support of the World Bank and international partners. Call for National Solidarity In conclusion, Advisor-President Louis Gérald Gilles issued a call for collective responsibility: “Together, we can save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen the country's food resilience.” Through this initiative and this affirmed political will, Haiti is trying to regain control of its food destiny. But for these promises to translate into concrete results, a sustained mobilization of all actors – public, private, and community – will be necessary. The editorial team
