Haiti: FAO & CERF launch emergency initiative to bolster rural food security amid climatic shocks, deportations & mass displacement | FAO News

Port‑au‑Prince/Rome – The Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) & the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), have launched an emergency initiative in Haiti’s North & Centre departments to deliver critical assistance to the most vulnerable & food-insecure households grappling with escalating displacement, a deportation crisis & worsening climatic shocks.

The initiative targets displaced persons, deportees from the Dominican Republic & communities hosting them, enabling families to produce their own food, while also boosting their resilience against recurring natural hazards.

This support comes at a critical moment. Nearly one in two Haitians is classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above (Emergency or worse), according to the September 2024 Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) analysis, with the vast majority living in rural areas relying on agriculture & livestock. This means families skip meals or eat less so they can get by, but still face food gaps & malnutrition risks, while others face extreme food shortages & are forced to take desperate measures just to survive.

Through CERF mechanism, the initiative will assist 1 500 vulnerable rural households — around 7 500 people — in displacement camps & families hosting  deportees in the communes of Dondon, Plaine du Nord (North), Belladère, & Lascahobas (Center).

Key actions include:

• Emergency food production support: 1 200 rural households (6 000 people) are receiving nine tonnes of black beans, three tonnes of groundnut seeds adapted to dry conditions, & 600 000 elephant grass cuttings. These inputs are expected to generate over 250 tonnes of food within 90 days — enough to feed 8 000 households for six months – & improve dietary diversity. Families are also receiving unconditional cash transfers which enable them meet immediate food needs & avoid selling the agricultural inputs provided.
• Livelihoods rehabilitation: 300 people are restoring over 19 kilometers of non-functioning irrigation canals, bringing water back to between 100 & 300 hectares of farmland, & constructing 200 shelters designed to host & protect 1 200 goats or other small livestock. These works not only strengthen local production capacities, but also provide much-needed income opportunities, benefitting approximately 1 500 people across 300 households.
• Climate-smart agriculture training: 400 farmers will receive hands-on training in climate-smart agricultural practices & techniques that help boost productivity & adapt to the worsening climate crisis.

The targeted communes are among the hardest hit by overlapping climatic & social stressors. Belladère is a major entry point for more than half of all deportees from the Dominican Republic & hosts large numbers of internally displaced persons, while a recent surge of violence in the area of Lascahobas has further disrupted local markets & farming activities.

“In Haiti, emergency food production & preparedness for climate shocks is not just an immediate emergency response: it is the only effective way to generate lasting impact & empowerment in the lives of rural communities,” said  Pierre Vauthier, FAO Representative in Haiti. “This emergency initiative helps address urgent needs while laying the groundwork for long-term disaster preparedness in local communities, enabling farmers to produce food, protect assets & adapt to a changing climate.”

By combining immediate assistance with long-term resilience-building measures, FAO & CERF are working hand in hand with rural communities to protect livelihoods, strengthen food security & lay the groundwork for recovery & stability.