Nearly half of Haiti’s population is likely facing acute food insecurity, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

The FAO says there are dire consequences if urgent action is not taken to address the root causes of the country’s humanitarian crisis.

It says the hunger crisis is fuelled by factors, including escalating armed gang violence, economic shocks, low agricultural yields, below-average rainfall, the lingering impacts of the August 2021 earthquake along with successive floods and reduced access to humanitarian aid.

It notes that the escalation in violence not only disrupts the circulation of goods and restricts access to markets but also inflates the prices of essential food items.