By Eugene Nicklaus S. Laqui
The World Food Program (WFP) made a grim call to the international community that the situation in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, remains harrowing and that the world should swiftly send financial aid to the island nation to replenish its fast-depleting food supplies.
Hunger continues to spread in Haiti
Lola Castro, WFP’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated in a recent announcement that Haiti requires US$46 million to continue feeding its starving population and replenish its warehouses with food, in preparation for any future natural disasters.
During her stay in Haiti, she described the situation as “dramatic” since at least two million Haitians do not regularly eat due to lack of food.
She said that these people belong to the two worst categories of the Integrated Food Security Phase classification or IPC.
IPC is an inter-governmental program that oversees the status of any region regarding food security and whether its population is receiving the proper nutrition they need.
According to the analysis of IPC between August 2023 and June 2024, 2.93 million Haitians are in the Phase 3 or crisis category and another 1.94 million Haitians are in the Phase 4 or emergency category.
Castro reiterated that the latest studies even indicated that as many as 8,500 Haitians are now in the Phase 5 category, known to be the worst catastrophic level of hunger.
Food supplies to last only until July
According to Castro, the supposed US$46 million international aid would be used to continue WFP’s regular food mission that often feeds 250,000 to 500,000 Haitians, including thousands more students and children who are often primary victims of malnutrition.
Without an immediate course of action from the global community, the WFP regional director warned that food supplies throughout Haiti would only last until July, which is also at risk from natural phenomena.
She admitted that a “single storm” could further derail the current food supply in the island nation.
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WFP’s own crisis
Castro reiterated that the United Nations food agency is also facing a hurdle of its own after the United States government announced its consequential decision to cut its foreign aid to international humanitarian groups, which included the WFP.
Such a setback will also impact WFP’s global programs and could affect nations that rely on WFP’s support, especially Haiti.
Castro said that funds from the US accounted for nearly half of WFP’s funds in 2024 alone.
Without the US as its key donor and less aid from international partners, the organisation will be left with little choice but to readjust its food programs which could exacerbate hunger in many territories.
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Newsjustnews writers 
Geoffrey H. Latayan