Associated Press: Extreme hunger in Haiti. “In food crises, women often eat least and last.”

More than half of Haiti's population, 5.7 million people, is experiencing severe hunger, according to the latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). This figure represents 300,000 more people compared to last year. Armed gang violence, economic shocks, and poor infrastructure are among the drivers of this catastrophic situation.

Martin Dickler, CARE's Country Director, spoke to the Associated Press about the dire humanitarian situation on the ground and its devastating impact on women and girls.

The IPC analysis underscores how the protracted crisis in Haiti is deepening and spreading. In 2014, only 2 percent of Haiti's population was food insecure. Today, that number has spiked to half the population, and this is increasing the vulnerability of women and girls. As heads of households, women are often left to manage the family daily survival alone.

Women and girls suffer disproportionately because they often face greater obstacles to access food and livelihoods. And women in Haiti are also navigating a society with extremely high levels of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, which creates enormous risks in daily life. Moreover, armed violence has forced many educational institutions to shut down, which means girls are out of school and increasingly at risk of exploitation.

Women are left to manage the daily family survival. In food crises, women often eat least and last.

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