The continuing expansion of gang violence in 2023 generated displacement on a scale that was overwhelming the capacity of host communities to absorb those fleeing their homes. The International Organization for Migration estimated that hundreds of thousands of people had been displaced within Haiti, with the capital’s displacement sites severely overcrowded and host family arrangements straining the resources of relatives who were themselves living in precarious conditions.
Host communities — typically the neighborhoods or provincial towns where displaced people had family connections — were absorbing arrivals who brought few resources and many needs. Households that had been managing on minimal incomes were suddenly providing food and shelter for relatives who had lost everything. The strain on host family resources was contributing to the impoverishment of communities that had not directly experienced gang violence but were feeling its consequences through the displacement it generated.
Displacement sites in Port-au-Prince — churches, schools, public buildings, and open spaces where people had gathered after fleeing their neighborhoods — were characterized by severe overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, limited food and water access, and significant protection risks. Women and girls in displacement sites were particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, adding protection concerns to the immediate humanitarian needs.
Humanitarian organizations providing services to displaced populations described a system operating far beyond its capacity, with organizations forced to prioritize the most acute needs among a population whose needs were collectively overwhelming. The IOM and UNHCR called for emergency funding to address the displacement crisis and for political action to address the underlying security conditions driving displacement.