The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the humanitarian situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate, with new displacements recorded across several departments due to armed violence. Meanwhile, more than 117,000 people have been forcibly returned to Haiti in the first six months of 2026, despite the ongoing emergency and calls by high-ranking UN officials and independent human rights experts to halt these returns.
On Friday, OCHA shared an update highlighting that over 2,600 people were displaced in the Artibonite department after clashes between armed groups last week, referencing data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
More than three-quarters of those displaced sought refuge in the commune of Marchand Dessalines. The continuing violence in the Artibonite department raises serious protection concerns, OCHA said.
In the West department, renewed clashes in Cité Soleil since mid-June have displaced over 5,000 people, according to IOM, adding to the thousands displaced between March and May while fleeing violent gangs in Cité Soleil.
Currently, some 1.5 million people in Haiti are internally displaced due to escalating gang violence and widespread instability. This marks an unprecedented level of internal displacement due to armed violence in Haiti and further intensifies the suffering of millions as insecurity continues to plague the Caribbean nation.
Haiti is grappling with surging gang activity, the collapse of vital public services, and frequent natural disasters, including droughts and floods. The ongoing violence has brought the country to the brink of collapse. In 2026, over half of the population — 6.4 million people — are in need of humanitarian assistance.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, more than 5.8 million Haitians — roughly 52 percent of the population — are facing crisis levels (IPC Phase 3) of hunger or worse from March to June. Of those, over 1.8 million are experiencing emergency levels (IPC Phase 4).
Along with severe food shortages, ongoing violence has severely disrupted vital services.
On Friday, OCHA warned that persistent violence has severely disrupted health services, particularly for women and girls. This forced the non-governmental organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend activities at its maternity facility in Cité Soleil on June 19.
This suspension deprives thousands of women of access to maternal and reproductive healthcare in one of the most densely populated areas of Port-au-Prince. The violence has also led to an increase in the number of wounded individuals being treated in health facilities.
Such dynamics are occurring amid increasing forced returns to Haiti. According to IOM, more than 25,000 people were forcibly returned in May 2026. Overall, over 117,000 people were returned between January and June of this year. Twenty-four percent of all forcibly returned Haitian in 2026 are women, and nearly eight percent are children.
Despite significant access and major funding constraints, OCHA continues to work with humanitarian organizations on the ground to assess needs and provide assistance. The US$880 million humanitarian appeal for 2026, which aims to support 4.2 million people in urgent need, is currently only 27 percent funded, with $240 million received thus far.
Indifference of a world that looks away
During his visit to the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, last week, UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres urged the international community to assume its responsibilities.
“Let’s be clear: gangs have been terrorizing Haiti. Institutions have been weakened. But the biggest disgrace is indifference – the indifference of a world that has looked away,” Guterres told reporters.
“There’s a direct connection between the absence of the international community – and the absence of security for the Haitian people.”
The UN Secretary-General appealed to the world to step up its engagement by funding the humanitarian response and the progressive recovery, which includes supporting Haitian institutions and the UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force (GSF).