More than one million people are now internally displaced in Haiti, according to new figures released Tuesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The latest data shows that 1,041,000 people are struggling amid a worsening humanitarian crisis - many of them forced to flee multiple times. According to IOM, children bear the greatest burden of forced displacement, accounting for more than half of all displaced people.
The number of people displaced has increased threefold in one year, from 315,000 in December 2023 to over one million in December 2024. In the capital of Port-au-Prince alone, displacement has nearly doubled, jumping 87 percent, fueled by relentless gang violence, the collapse of essential services - particularly health care - and worsening food insecurity.
The health system, on the verge of collapse, is facing severe challenges, crippled by both the recent violence and years of underinvestment, with only about one-third of hospitals and health services in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area (PPMA) fully operational.
A record 5.4 million Haitians are facing acute hunger, including 2 million people in emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4), suffering from extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and high levels of disease. Children are particularly vulnerable, with at least 125,000 estimated to be acutely malnourished.
For the first time since 2022, there are famine-like conditions in some areas where displaced people live. At least 6,000 displaced people in shelters in the capital are facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC Phase 5).
Haiti has been gripped by instability since 2021, when President Jovenel MoĂŻse was assassinated. Heavily armed gangs have sought to fill the vacuum, seizing up to 90 percent of Port-au-Prince and extending their violent grip to several areas beyond. The UN estimates that gangs now control 85 percent of the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area.
According to the latest figures documented by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), between January and December 2024, more than 5,600 people were killed and 2,212 injured in gang-related violence, while 1,494 were kidnapped.
Haiti has also seen an alarming increase in mob killings and lynchings of suspected gang members. In 2024, OHCHR has also documented 315 lynchings of gang members and people allegedly associated with gangs.
The armed violence has created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with half of Haiti's population, some 6 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance, including 3.3 million children.
The most recent alarming displacement figures represent the highest recorded number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to violence in the Caribbean nation, underscoring the urgent need for security and humanitarian assistance. Haiti is the country with the largest number of people displaced by crime-related violence in the world.
"Haiti needs sustained humanitarian assistance right now to save and protect lives," said IOM Director General Amy Pope in a statement.
"We must work together to address the root causes of the violence and instability that has led to so much death and destruction."
The majority of the displaced come from the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area. Many seek refuge in Haiti's provinces, overwhelming host communities and straining limited resources. In the Artibonite department, displacement tripled to more than 84,000 people in 2024, highlighting the spread of violence beyond Haiti's capital.
The number of displacement sites, particularly those concentrated in the capital, has grown significantly, from 73 to 108 in one year. These sites are severely overcrowded and lack adequate access to basic services such as food, clean water, sanitation and education.
Reports from these IDP sites reveal deteriorating conditions, with families struggling to survive in makeshift shelters while facing mounting health and protection risks.
The IOM reports that 83 percent of displaced Haitians are relying on already overburdened host communities, such as acquaintances, friends and family, for shelter, while the rest are struggling to cope in spontaneous sites.
Tens of thousands have attempted to flee the country. Despite repeated calls from the United Nations that Haitians should not be forcibly returned to Haiti, other countries have deported more than 200,000 Haitians in 2024, further straining the country's already overwhelmed social services.
The International Organization for Migration reiterates the need for continued humanitarian aid alongside long-term investments in governance, security, and social cohesion. These efforts are essential to break the cycle of violence and displacement, promote community stability, and restore hope for recovery, IOM said.
“Haitians deserve a future. In moments of such profound crisis, the world must choose solidarity over indifference,” Pope said.
Humanitarian operations in the country remain woefully underfunded. The humanitarian community estimated that $674 million were needed in 2024 to provide life-saving assistance to the affected population. As of today, the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Haiti is only 43 percent funded, denying millions of Haitians the assistance they desperately need.
Despite the lack of funding and humanitarian access challenges, IOM, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue their response.
“Our teams are on the ground every day, providing clean water, medical care, and shelter, but the demands are growing rapidly,” said Grégoire Goodstein, IOM’s Chief in Haiti.
“With the right support, we stand ready to further expand our efforts, address urgent needs, and help Haitians rebuild their lives.”
In 2024, the UN agency provided access to 18 million liters of clean water at displacement sites and rehabilitated water pumps in affected communities, benefiting thousands of families. Essential items such as blankets, water containers, solar lamps and hygiene kits were distributed to those in need.
IOM also provided relocation assistance, rent subsidies, medical care and psychosocial support to 75,000 people.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) reached 1.7 million people across Haiti in 2024, providing emergency relief, school meals and social protection.
But much more is needed to meet Haiti's urgent needs. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Haiti calls for US$906 million to provide life-saving assistance to 4 million of the most vulnerable people.
In addition to ongoing violence, the country has a long history of natural disasters and remains highly vulnerable to hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Flooding in November and December last year affected more than 315,000 people across the country.
January 12 marked 15 years since a devastating earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people. In January 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, with an epicenter about 25 km west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 300,000 people are estimated to have died, 3 million were affected and approximately 1.5 million were left homeless.
Further information
Full text: International Organization for Migration (IOM), Jan 14 2025. DTM Haïti — Rapport sur la situation de déplacement interne en Haïti — Round 9 (Décembre 2024) IOM, report, published January 14, 2025 (in French)
https://dtm.iom.int/node/47811