International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General Amy Pope warned on Wednesday of the “dire” humanitarian situation in Haiti.
“Haiti is one that unfortunately has not received the level of attention or funding that is so desperately needed at this moment in time,” Pope told reporters virtually.
Her remarks came after she visited Haiti earlier this week.
“The first thing that struck me is how complicated, how complex, how dire the humanitarian situation is on the ground,” she said.
It is “incredibly difficult” to get to the people who are most in need, Pope added.
“The situation has become much, much worse in recent months. There are now a million people who’ve been displaced,” she said.
Haiti has been struggling with gang violence and political instability for years, worsened by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
“The question, I think, on the table for all of us is just a recognition that what’s happening in Haiti is not going to stay in Haiti, and how do we create a system when there’s more stability, where there’s more security, when there’s more hope for the Haitian people,” said Pope.
Approximately 5.5 million Haitians required humanitarian assistance in 2024, an increase from 5.2 million, according to the UN.