Number tripled in one year; humanitarian crisis worsens with collapse of basic services
The (International Organization for Migration), a UN agency, reported this Tuesday (14 January 2025) that the number of internally displaced people in Haiti exceeded 1 million people. The number, a record in the Caribbean country, tripled compared to the 315 thousand registered in December 2023.
Gang violence in the capital Port-au-Prince is the main cause of the increase, according to the report. The situation is worsened by the collapse of medical care and other essential services.
According to the Geneva-based IOM, 1.041 million people “they were forced to leave their homes, many of them more than once”. More than half of those displaced are children.
The forced return of around 200,000 people, the majority from the Dominican Republic, deepens the crisis. Kennedy Okoth, spokesperson for the IOM, reported that the number of displacement sites in Port-au-Prince has increased from 73 to 108 in the last year.
The situation could worsen with changes in United States immigration policy. President Joe Biden has expanded a temporary status program for citizens of Haiti. President-elect Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, have indicated they intend to scale back the program.
Last year, more than 5,600 people were killed in Haiti, a 20% increase compared to 2023. In addition, 2,200 people were injured and 1,500 kidnapped, according to UN data.
