Empty spaces: What’s missing tells the story of Haiti’s crisis
The most tangible signs of Haiti’s crisis aren’t always reflected by what we can see – sometimes the most powerful stories arise from what’s missing. Extreme violence at the hands of armed groups has emptied schools, clinics, markets and homes. Public services have all but collapsed under the weight of insecurity. And severely underfunded humanitarian operations are now forced to turn people away. The result is a country full of empty spaces – voids where essential goods and services should be.
These absences are quickly defining Haiti’s crisis and leading to the worst possible absence of all – the absence of hope.
Food security and preparedness: Empty shelves
The Atlantic hurricane season is officially under way, yet there are no pre-positioned food stocks in Haiti to respond. Some 5.7 million people already face hunger, but the World Food Programme (WFP) has no pre-positioned food or emergency cash available. Warehouses would normally be filled with emergency supplies at this time of year. But if a hurricane or tropical storm hits Haiti, no one is ready.
Wanja Kaaria, WFP’s Country Director in Haiti, explains: “With pre-positioned food we can feed up to 500,000 people in case of a hurricane or extreme weather event. Right now, we need US$20 million to prepare in-kind food assistance.”
Healthcare: Clinics without care
In a country where trauma and chronic illness are rising, one in five in-patient health facilities has shut down, some due to violence, others simply because there are no essential supplies or staff. In many areas, the nearest functioning clinic is now a day’s walk away, or even farther.
Dr. Seybou Diarra, Coordinator of the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Tabarre, Port-au-Prince, says: “Access to healthcare is becoming increasingly difficult for Haitians, and it is virtually nonexistent for those in need of trauma care. If the situation does not improve, I fear many of the injured will die simply because treatment is unavailable.”
Water: The basic right that isn’t
Clean water is a basic human right. But in today’s Haiti, that right is out of reach. Nearly half the population lacks access to safe drinking water. In displacement camps and remote areas, families often wait for hours at dry pumps or resort to unsafe sources, putting themselves at risk of waterborne diseases.
Dorica Tasuzgika Phiri, UNICEF’s Chief of Emergency in Haiti, explains: “Waterborne diseases like cholera are preventable with proper hygiene, clean water and sanitation. Yet cases persist in Haiti, particularly in overcrowded displacement sites. We are deeply concerned by the rising numbers – both suspected and confirmed cases have increased significantly compared to the same period last year.”
UNICEF urgently needs $6 million to scale up its response, protect vulnerable communities and prevent further spread.
Education: A future on hold
More than half a million children have lost access to education. One in six schools in Port-au-Prince is now fully or partially closed. In 2024 alone, 284 schools were destroyed by armed groups.
Naïka Farley Holland works for the Organization of Hearts for Change for Deprived Children of Haiti, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) partnering with UNICEF and supported by the OCHA-managed Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean. Holland shares: “Each closed school and each new displacement site is a step closer to the erosion of our shared humanity. We dream of a country where every child has access to education and healthcare. With our partners we work tirelessly to make that dream a reality. Together, we must commit to building a better future for generations to come.”
Displacement: Leaving home to survive
Violence has displaced more than 1.3 million Haitians – 11 per cent of the population. Entire neighbourhoods now lie abandoned. Families flee with only what they can carry, unsure when or if they will return or see their loved ones again.
Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, says: “Behind these numbers are so many individual people whose suffering is immeasurable; children, mothers, the elderly, many of them forced to flee their homes multiple times, often with nothing, and now living in conditions that are neither safe nor sustainable.”
Markets: Scarce supplies, higher prices
Violence is making it harder for farmers to grow food and for supplies to reach markets. This year’s food prices are much higher due to poor harvests, scarce supplies and high transport costs.
Annalisa Lombardo, President of the NGO coalition CLIO, explains: “Insecurity and economic decline have left millions unable to afford basic food. Violence has severely impacted farmers – especially women – who can no longer access markets. People are struggling to survive and need urgent action to restore safe access and build a more resilient local food system.”
“These spaces have not become empty by accident; they are the consequence of violence, neglect and a global funding gap that continues to grow,” says Modibo Traoré, OCHA Haiti’s Head of Office. “But every void can be filled with food, with care, with opportunity if the international community chooses to act. Let’s stop measuring this crisis only by what we see. Let’s pay attention to what’s missing.”