About 200,000 more children in Haiti have faced a hunger crisis this year, and nearly half of the population does not know where their next meal will come from, according to the international nongovernmental organization Save the Children.
According to the report, the number of people suffering hunger in Haiti has risen to 4.7 million from 4.3 million at the beginning of the year, including 2.4 million children, as political unrest and a severe economic crisis drive up the price of food and fuel in the Caribbean nation.
More than 19,000 people, including about 9,600 children, are affected by catastrophic hunger for the first time.
In addition, the Dominican Republic’s neighbor is battling its worst cholera outbreak since 2010, with more than 6,800 suspected and confirmed cases reported since Oct. 2.
According to Haiti’s Ministry of Health, children are most at risk of the deadly disease, with more than 41 percent of confirmed cases affecting children under 19.
Children already suffering from severe acute malnutrition are particularly vulnerable to the spread of cholera and are at least three times more likely to die if they contract the deadly disease.
“Save the Children” warns that without urgent action, thousands of people could die from hunger and cholera, especially children from the poorest and most vulnerable households.
Chantal-Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children’s country director in Haiti, said: “The situation in Haiti is deteriorating rapidly. Millions of children go to bed hungry every night, and for the first time ever, we see children face hunger-like conditions.”
“Many families are pushed to the brink of subsistence and are borrowing to buy everyday food. This is due to a fatal combination of economic collapse, political unrest, and gang violence that blocks fuel and life-saving food access.”
The country is now on the brink of collapse, and many fear the worst for millions of children.
Save the Children teams are already seeing the devastating impact of the hunger crisis and deadly cholera outbreak on Haiti’s children.
“We urge the international community to continue its support to fully address the country’s humanitarian needs and ensure children can fight cholera and hunger.”
“Save the Children is calling for establishing a humanitarian corridor to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout the country so that aid agencies can reach children and families struggling with unprecedented levels of hunger and to contain the spread of cholera.”
“Save the Children calls on the global humanitarian community to prioritize support for Haiti.”
Save the Children has been working in Haiti since 1978.
The child advocacy organization is responding to the cholera outbreak in vulnerable communities in Haiti by distributing hygiene kits, setting up hand-washing stations, establishing community monitoring systems, and sharing information on cholera prevention and early detection.
Save the Children also supports children and families affected by the hunger crisis by ensuring access to health and nutrition services, child protection, and gender-based violence and providing cash transfers to the most vulnerable.