Port-au-Prince food insecurity has reached an alarming level, leaving internally displaced persons (IDPs) and poor households on the edge of survival. The Haitian capital and its surrounding areas are caught in a spiral of violence, economic collapse, and failing food systems. This article uncovers seven urgent warnings that shed light on the scale of the crisis and the dangers ahead if no decisive action is taken.
The worsening situation in Port-au-Prince is not only about empty markets and rising prices. Gang-related violence has transformed neighborhoods into war zones. Nearly 90% of the city is under gang control, disrupting trade, transport, and even humanitarian aid delivery. For displaced families, this means more than hunger it means daily exposure to extortion, kidnappings, and threats that prevent them from rebuilding their lives.
Violence directly affects food supply chains. Trucks carrying rice, beans, and maize are often stopped at checkpoints controlled by armed groups. Farmers in rural areas cannot access urban markets, while urban consumers face shortages and soaring prices. Without restoring security, food insecurity will only deepen.
Haiti currently hosts around 1.3 million internally displaced persons. Port-au-Prince alone shelters the majority of these individuals, often in makeshift camps with little access to clean water, sanitation, or healthcare. IDPs have lost farms, shops, and other assets essential for survival. Many depend entirely on humanitarian aid, which itself is under strain.
In some camps, families skip meals for days, surviving only on sporadic donations from NGOs or community groups. Children are especially vulnerable, facing malnutrition that threatens both their physical and cognitive development. Without urgent intervention, a generation risks being scarred permanently by hunger.
Inflation in Haiti has remained above 30% for much of 2025, with food prices outpacing general inflation. The depreciation of the gourde has made imported goods especially rice, Haiti’s staple food almost unaffordable for poor households. Local harvests have been below average due to insecurity, droughts, and limited access to seeds and fertilizers.
Markets in relatively stable areas still function, but in the capital’s violence-hit zones, shelves remain empty. Even when food is available, households lack purchasing power due to collapsed informal labor markets. For day laborers and street vendors, one day without work often equals one day without food. This dangerous equation places the most vulnerable in an endless cycle of debt and hunger.
Beyond violence and economic collapse, Port-au-Prince food insecurity is also driven by environmental pressures. Haiti is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Prolonged droughts, heavy rainfall, and hurricanes consistently destroy crops and farmland. These natural disasters erode topsoil, wash away seeds, and leave farmers without harvests to sustain their families.
The spring harvest of 2025, for instance, was well below average despite near-normal rainfall. Why? Because farmers couldn’t afford fertilizers or access their fields due to insecurity. As a result, maize, beans, and rice production dropped dramatically, leaving the country dependent on expensive imports. When local production fails, urban markets quickly feel the shock, and displaced persons face even greater hardship. For more insights on regional agricultural resilience, read our internal analysis on Haiti agriculture challenges.
A troubling forecast suggests that the fall season may also deliver
below-average harvests. With soil preparation delayed and climate conditions
unpredictable, farmers are at risk of losing another season of crops. This
means higher prices, weaker purchasing power, and deeper hunger for the most
vulnerable. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) , Haiti remains among the top nations facing extreme food insecurity,
and climate variability only intensifies the crisis.
Food insecurity is not just about empty stomachs; it reshapes entire communities. Malnutrition rates among children in Port-au-Prince are rising at alarming levels. Stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and developmental delays are becoming widespread. For women and infants, the risks are even more severe. Pregnant mothers who cannot access proper nutrition face complications that endanger both their lives and their babies.
Health systems, already underfunded, cannot cope with the surge in demand. Clinics lack medicines, and hospitals lack basic supplies. Many IDPs live in overcrowded camps, where diseases such as cholera, respiratory infections, and diarrheal illnesses spread rapidly due to lack of clean water. Hunger weakens the immune system, turning otherwise treatable diseases into fatal threats.
Social cohesion is also at risk. When food becomes scarce, tension rises between groups competing for limited resources. In displacement camps, disputes often erupt over food distribution, leaving humanitarian workers in dangerous situations. This fragile environment further destabilizes the capital, creating a cycle where hunger fuels insecurity, and insecurity deepens hunger.
Displacement is both a cause and a consequence of food insecurity in Haiti. With over 1.3 million IDPs, the scale of forced migration has reached historic levels. Families uprooted by violence lose their farmland, jobs, and social networks, leaving them entirely dependent on aid. The camps they move into are temporary, but many remain trapped there for years.
Meanwhile, mass deportations from the Dominican Republic have returned more than 160,000 Haitians in 2025 alone. These returnees add pressure to already strained communities, competing for food and jobs that do not exist. With limited livelihood opportunities, both IDPs and deportees face a bleak future either remain in unsafe camps or risk the dangerous journey back across the border.
Migration toward rural areas also creates new tensions. Families seeking safety in the countryside often arrive in communities already struggling with poverty. This leads to further strain on local resources, often resulting in conflict. Unless stability is restored in Port-au-Prince, displacement will continue to expand, amplifying the humanitarian crisis.
