UN warns Haiti facing 'catastrophic' levels of hunger

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Repeated crises have plunged Haiti into "catastrophic" levels of hunger as residents grow increasingly desperate amid rampant joblessness, a lack of government services and scarcity of critical resources, the UN warned on Friday.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization raised its assessment of the nation's hunger to Level 5, its most dire ranking, as it counted 4.7 million people facing acute hunger. That includes about 1.8 million people facing emergency levels of hunger, and 19,000 others caught in catastrophic levels.

It pointed in particular to the Cite Soleil neighborhood in the capital of Port-au-Price, which it said "has seen a worrisome rise in food insecurity" for the past three years. About 65% of the population there are facing the highest levels of food insecurity, according to the organization.

“WFP stands with the people of Haiti - serving the vulnerable and helping the poorest. We are here to ensure schoolchildren get a nutritious meal each day, families meet their basic food needs and communities are empowered,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, the World Food Program (WFP)'s Country Director in Haiti.

“This is a time of tumult in Haiti. But there is a way forward. We all need to be steadfast and focus on delivering urgent humanitarian assistance and supporting long-term development," he added.

Haiti has faced a number of catastrophes in recent years, including ravaging earthquakes, political tumult and rampant gang violence.

Powerful criminal groups have blocked the country's main fuel terminal since September, crippling basic supplies such as water and food and preventing businesses and hospitals from operating.

The Caribbean country confirmed on Oct. 2 a new cholera outbreak, adding to the country's already dire humanitarian situation. It is the first major outbreak since UN peacekeepers brought cholera to the country in the 2010's, killing nearly 10,000 people.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization said there had been 16 cholera-related deaths and 32 confirmed cases in Haiti.