Haiti: Child malnutrition crisis worsens amid escalating violence
UN-backed analysis projects severe child malnutrition in Haiti, with 93,873 children under five facing life-threatening acute malnutrition by mid-2027 amid escalating violence and displacement.
A UN-backed assessment projects that 253,725 children aged 6 to 59 months in Haiti will suffer from acute malnutrition between June 2026 and May 2027, including 93,873 with severe cases requiring urgent treatment. The analysis, published by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population with support from UNICEF, FAO, WFP and partners, identifies areas where nutrition services are most urgently needed. The projected deterioration is expected to increase demand for treatment and strain already overstretched health and humanitarian services across the country.
Approximately 1.47 million people were internally displaced in Haiti as of mid-May 2026, according to the assessment, with continued insecurity forcing families from their homes and disrupting access to food, healthcare and malnutrition treatment. The situation is expected to become particularly serious between December 2026 and May 2027, when 29 of Haiti’s 140 municipalities are projected to reach IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 3, classified as “serious.”
The municipalities of Cité Soleil and Cabaret are projected to reach Phase 4, or “critical,” the second-highest level on the IPC acute malnutrition scale. UNICEF Representative to Haiti Geeta Narayan emphasized the need to use the evidence to reach children earlier and prevent malnutrition, warning that lives depend on timely care and support.
FAO Representative Pierre Vauthier and WFP Representative Lauren Landis stressed that addressing malnutrition requires tackling underlying causes, including limited access to diverse food and protection of agricultural livelihoods. They called for greater investment in prevention, nutrition, healthcare, school meals and assistance to vulnerable households to mitigate social and economic consequences.