Haiti currently has around 702,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), with 37% located in the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince (MAPAP). Despite a slight decrease in the number of IDPs in MAPAP, the situation for displaced women and girls remains dire. Only 15 out of 85 IDP sites offer protection services, and access to basic needs like shelter, food, water, and sanitation is limited. Women and girls are at increased risk of gender-based violence (GBV), with 94% of them at risk and sexual violence comprising 72% of GBV incidents. The scarcity of resources is exacerbating these vulnerabilities, forcing many to rely on harmful coping strategies.
In response, UNFPA and its partners are providing critical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and GBV services where security permits. This includes mobile teams deployed to IDP sites, four operational women and girls’ safe spaces, and a hotline offering psychosocial support, referrals, and case documentation. UNFPA also supports GBV coordination at both the national and regional levels, offering essential services such as psychosocial support, financial assistance to reduce negative coping strategies, and dignity kits for 600 women and girls. In addition, 1,005 childbirths were assisted, and 52 GBV survivors accessed services at UNFPA-supported facilities.
UNFPA is appealing for $28 million to expand life-saving SRH and GBV services in Haiti throughout 2024, having secured 19% of the required funding as of August 2024. These funds will help address the urgent needs of women and girls in IDP sites and other affected areas, strengthening protection and ensuring access to essential healthcare services.
