Port-au-Prince, 25 November – Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, is witnessing the highest wave of displacement since January 2023, as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports 41,000 people forced to flee their homes due to escalating violence and insecurity since 11 November. Over 90 percent of those displaced are sheltering in 23 displacement sites, including 19 newly created in recent days to accommodate the overwhelming numbers.

The violence is forcing families to abandon their homes, often for the second or third time. Displaced people face dire conditions with limited or no access to water, food, sanitation, and healthcare.

“The scale of this displacement is unprecedented since we began responding to the humanitarian crisis in 2022,” said Grégoire Goodstein, IOM Chief in Haiti. “Our teams are working tirelessly under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance. Despite immense pressures, our staff remain steadfast in their commitment to supporting displaced families and ensuring their essential needs are met.”

There are overall over 700,000 people displaced in Haiti and despite significant security risks and logistical challenges, IOM and its partners have stepped up their response in Port-au-Prince and in other affected areas, prioritizing water, sanitation, health, psychosocial support, protection, transportation support and non-food item distributions. 

Water was delivered to over 15,000 internally displaced persons, while hygiene promotion sessions were conducted across displacement sites to improve sanitation practices. On-site medical interventions provided care to hundreds of displaced individuals, and 1,075 people received transportation assistance to relocate to safer provinces. Additionally, more than 10,000 IDPs benefited from non-food item distributions. IOM is also supporting one of the remaining hospitals in Cité Soleil by supplying essential resources to address the recent surge in cholera cases.

“This crisis is not just a humanitarian challenge. It is a test of our collective responsibility,” said Grégoire Goodstein. “We must ensure that displaced families are not left to face these struggles alone.”

For more information, please contact: 

In Haiti: Antoine Lemonnier, alemonnier@iom.int
In Panama: Jorge Gallo, jgallo@iom.int