Six million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, while 1.3 million people – half of them children – having been forced to flee their homes, he added.
‘Shamefully overlooked’
Haiti now ranks among the five hunger hotspots worldwide that are of “highest concern,” said the UN chief. Yet it remains the world’s least funded humanitarian appeal. Less than 10 per cent of the $908 million needed has been received.
The UN chief lamented the level of international neglect, describing Haiti as “shamefully overlooked and woefully underfunded,” as armed groups continue to block humanitarian access and attack aid workers.
Due to the lack of resources, around 1.7 million people risk receiving no humanitarian assistance at all. “This is not a funding gap. It is a life-and-death emergency,” he said, urging donors to act before lifesaving operations grind to a halt.
Across the country, basic services have collapsed, and mass displacement has left children without education, healthcare or any sense of safety. As of April, gang violence had interrupted the schooling of some 243.000 children, as attacks on schools continued.
‘Unimaginable suffering’
The head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, told ambassadors Haiti’s youth are enduring “unimaginable suffering amidst the brutal armed violence.”
She noted that last year the UN in Haiti had verified more than 2,000 grave violations against children – a nearly 500 per cent increase on the previous year.
The Caribbean nation last year was among the five worst offenders worldwide, Ms. Russell added, including cases of summary execution.
Even more concerning, she said, was the 700 per cent increase in cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups, alongside a 54 per cent increase in killing and maiming, according to Ms. Russell.
Children now account for a staggering 50 per cent of all active gang members in Haiti.
“I ask Members of this Council to use all available leverage to protect children,” she said, and to support “concrete actions” which will prevent violations from spiralling still further.
‘Signals of hope’
Despite the bleak outlook across Haiti and soaring levels of violence and lawlessness, “there are emerging signals of hope,” said the Secretary-General.
Closer coordination between the Prime Minister’s Task Force, the Haitian National Police and Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) is improving operations on the ground, he said.
But, more decisive international support is required to protect and expand these fragile gains.
The Kenyan-led mission was authorised by the Security Council in October 2023 and aims to help over-stretched Haitian authorities stem the gang violence and restore national security, especially in the capital.
Mr. Guterres welcomed efforts by the Security Council to advance his proposal to strengthen the MSS through UN logistical and operation support, and urged ambassadors “to act without delay and authorise an international force, supported by the UN through logistical and operational backing, and predictable financing.”
The report, to be released later this month, reveals how between 2020 and 2024, the world experienced a dramatic increase in food prices driven by a combination of COVID-19 inflation, the war in Ukraine restricting movements on food and commodities, and increasing climate shocks.
“The episodes described in this publication bring up what we call a perfect storm,” said Mr. Torero Cullen.
Máximo Torero Cullen speaks to journalists at UN Headquarters via video link.
First, he explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, governments launched fiscal stimulus and relief packages, which increased demand and, thus, global inflation.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine compounded this crisis. Before the war began in 2022, Ukraine was a key exporter of wheat, sunflower oil and fertilisers. The war not only restricted these exports but disrupted trade routes and pushed up fuel and input costs, which amplified inflation across the world.
Additionally, increasingly frequent and intense climate shocks in major producing regions – such as droughts, floods and heat waves – further aggravated food inflation.
Worldwide impacts
Only in 2024 did prices return to pre-COVID levels, meaning that households struggled for multiple years to afford food, with major consequences.
As real wages fell while food prices increased, household purchasing power was eroded. Households responded by buying cheaper and less nutritious food, reducing meal frequency, and often prioritising meals for certain family members and reducing intake for women and children.
Mr. Torero Cullen also explained that an increase in food prices directly correlates to an increase in moderate and severe food insecurity. The impacts of this were particularly harsh in Africa and Western Asia, where food imports, dependence and currency depreciation made food even more expensive.
Moreover, as food prices increased, nutrition outcomes among children under five worsened. The SOFI report illustrated that a 10 per cent food price increase led to a 2.7 to 6.1 per cent increase in moderate to severe wasting, which has long-lasting effects on child development and public health systems.
Notably, these grave impacts were uneven, mostly affecting low-income and African countries – many of which are still seeing worsening figures. During the peak of the crisis in January 2023, some low-income countries experienced food price inflation of up to 30 per cent, compared to 13.6 per cent globally.
Policy recommendations
Mr. Torero Cullen finished his briefing by outlining the policy prescriptions detailed in the SOFI report.
He first underscored targeted fiscal support. “Social protection measures are the most effective response to food price spikes,” he explained. “This will protect vulnerable populations without creating long-term fiscal risk or market distortions.”
He also highlighted avoiding trade disruptions, coordinating monetary and fiscal policies, improving market transparency, and institutional preparedness as essential components for avoiding future crises.
“This SOFI underscores that inflation can undermine progress. It underlines our vulnerabilities, and it also brings the importance of strengthening resilience, inclusiveness and transparency to be able to avoid and minimize the risk of these problems,” he concluded.
In September 2017, Primrose Thomas was at her home on Barbuda, when disaster struck: two Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, swept over the islands of the eastern Caribbean, wreaking chaos and destruction.
“The first time I came back, I didn’t know where to go. I couldn’t recognize anywhere. I had to ask for directions to my own house.”
Thousands of people in the region found themselves in the same situation as Primrose, and the UN played a major role in helping affected communities get back on their feet.
Click here for more first-hand accounts of the hurricane. UNDP November 2017
In this two-part report – one year on from the hurricanes – we look at the ways in which the Organisation provides aid to those in need and, in a world increasingly affected by the effects of climate change, is finding ways to make the region better able to withstand such events in the years to come.
Part 1: “A paradise turned into Hell”
This is how the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, described Barbuda in the aftermath of the storms: “I have never seen anywhere else in the world a forest completely decimated without one single leaf on any tree…In every community, most of the buildings are destroyed or heavily damaged.”
Irma and Maria were “Category 5” hurricanes, described by the US Government’s National Hurricane Center Website, as winds reaching 157 miles per hour or higher, during which “catastrophic damage will occur”. Irma reached record-breaking sustained speeds of over 183 mph, longer than any other Atlantic hurricane on record.
The most severely affected nations were the two-island State of Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica; but many other Caribbean islands suffered damage, including Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, The Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Two category 5 hurricanes swept east to west across the Caribbean in September 2017. The most intense wind speeds were found in the red-highlighted zone.
Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Maarten as well as Cuba; the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, were also impacted.
On 6 September 2017, Antigua and Barbuda was battered by Irma, the first of the two mammoth Atlantic hurricanes tearing westward along Hurricane Alley, the name for the body of warm water that stretches from the west coast of northern Africa to the east coast of Central America and the Gulf Coast of the United States.
For the first time in its history, the entire population of Barbuda, some 1,600 people, was evacuated to the larger island of Antigua. Ninety per cent of homes and buildings in Barbuda were affected, 40 per cent of the roads were damaged, and the entire energy distribution network was destroyed.
Dominica also saw 90 per cent of buildings destroyed by the storms, affecting over 70,000 people.
Hurricanes: Dominica Rebuilds (One year on from Irma and Maria)
In the aftermath of Irma and Maria, a UN-wide Crisis Management Unit sent waste management and debris removal experts into the affected areas, opening up roads, collecting garbage, and restoring the water and power networks. Emergency work programmes created temporary jobs and training for affected women and men, quickly injecting cash into communities.
Small businesses were given grants to help them to recover: On the Turks and Caicos Islands, the large majority of MSMEs (Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises) were severely impacted by the hurricanes, and the UN supported a wide range of businesses, from pest controllers and farmers, to taxi drivers and people renting out holiday homes.
Like 70 per cent of the inhabitants of South Caicos, Henry Handfield relies on fishing for a living. One of the 40 MSME owners selected for a hurricane relief grant, he says that the $550 received made an impact: “(My boat) was flipped upside down and one portion of it was broken off. The top of the engine was smashed up, the roof was destroyed…all I had was the hull of this boat.” Handfield recalls. “The help I got from UNDP (the UN Development Programme) was very helpful. I was able to take that and put with some other monies to remodel this boat.”
Many families in Dominica were given cash handouts to help them through the period after the hurricanes. UNDPLAC
Financial support also came in the form of an innovative direct cash transfer scheme, which puts money directly in the hands of affected families. Run by the Government of Dominica, the programme is supported by UNICEF and the World Food Programme and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. Between December and February 2017, it provided 8,000 of the most vulnerable families affected by Maria with monthly payments ranging between $90 and $239, depending on the number of children in the household.
Yvonne Hill Williams lives in Roseau, Dominica. A shopkeeper and foster carer who also looks after her five grandchildren, Yvonne lost all of her merchandise when the nearby river overflowed during Hurricane Maria. She found that the cash initiative came in handy during a difficult time: “We bought clothes, shoes, and a little shopping and groceries. You feel that you can buy certain things in town. It’s a good feeling…I appreciate it very much.”
In Dominica, the priority for women farmers was to be able to get back on their feet as soon as possible. UN Women facilitated this by providing seeds, labour and equipment to bring their farms back into production as soon as possible.
Eileen Lloyd, of the Bellevue Chopin Farmers Group in Dominica, is one of the beneficiaries. She described the support provided by UN Women as a blessing: “After Maria, it was very difficult to get seeds, and then we were promised some seeds and tools from UN Women and we appreciate them handing them over to us,” she said.
The organisation also worked closely with the UN Population Fund to provide displaced Barbudan women and girls with sanitary items not easily found in relief packages. They distributed “dignity kits”, containing basic health and hygiene products such as soap and sanitary towels.
Women in Dominica were given additional support, including access to cash-for-work programmes, following the devastation caused by the 2017 hurricane season. UNDP/Zaimis Olmos
One year on, the most vulnerable people affected – those with no income or insurance, single people and those with disabilities – risk getting lost in the system. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), has focused on helping the most at-risk communities.
IOM has helped hundreds in Dominica by reconstructing their homes. Wyzell Philogene, a single mother, spent almost a month sharing a space at a friend’s house, along with around 15 others. Her roof was ripped off, and she lost nearly all her belongings. Wyzelle qualified for IOM humanitarian assistance and, a week later, a brand-new roof was erected at no cost to her. She is now able to focus on making a living, through a landscaping job made available through the National Employment Programme, and she is making sure that she is prepared for the next hurricane season.
Wyzell is not alone in thinking about how to survive in the future: the UN’s longer-term planning and development teams have been working closely with emergency humanitarian workers from the very beginning of the crisis.
In part 2 of this special report, we will look more closely at the efforts underway to make the region more resilient, in the face of climate change and the likelihood of more frequent, and more extreme, natural disasters.
UN agencies warn that the decimated enclave is teetering on the brink of further chaos after months of war and the collapse of all essential services.
The incident took place at WFP’s Al-Ghafari facility in Deir Al-Balah, where limited stocks of wheat flour had been pre-positioned for use by the few bakeries which have been able to resume operations.
Tragic consequences
Corinne Fleischer, WFP’s Regional Director for the Middle East, described it as a “tragedy [that] should never have happened”.
She called for immediate and steady flow of aid to avoid further scenes desperation.
“When people know food is coming, desperation turns to calm,” she said.
The storming of the warehouse is the latest sign of a hunger crisis spiralling out of control after 80 days of near-total blockade on aid into Gaza. While limited supplies of aid have resumed, “it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed,” UN officials have said.
In a statement, WFP said it has consistently warned of alarming and deteriorating conditions on the ground, and the risks of limiting humanitarian aid – despite the looming threat of famine.
The agency reiterated its call for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to enable orderly food distributions across Gaza immediately.
Collapse of fishing sector
The UN-led Protection Cluster – a coalition of UN entities and NGOs working on protecting civil rights during crisis – warned on Thursday of a collapse of Gaza’s fishing sector.
The sector was a vital source of food and livelihoods before the conflict erupted on 7 October 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups attacked Israeli communities.
Monitoring from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, “found a consistent pattern” of Israeli military attacks on fishers in Gaza.
This included firing on vessels at sea by Israeli Naval Forces, as well as drone attacks at sea and on land.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Gaza’s fishing industry is now operating at just 7.3 per cent of its pre-October 2023 capacity, with the fleet all but decimated.
Around 94 per cent of trawlers, 100 per cent of large fishing vessels and 70 per cent of smaller boats have been destroyed.
“This dramatic decline is having a devastating impact on food security, income generation, and community resilience across Gaza, triggering negative coping strategies and risks to fishers,” the Protection Cluster said in a report.
Darkest point
Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza, six hundred days into the crisis, is at its darkest point yet.
“As relentless, deadly bombardment and mass displacement intensify, families are being starved and denied the basic means of survival,” the team said in statement on Wednesday, adding that conditions for humanitarians to deliver aid safely and at scale are absent.
The HCT noted that over the past days, it had submitted 900 truckloads for Israeli approval – about 800 were cleared and just over 500 were cleared for offloading on the Israeli side of Kerem Shalom.
However, humanitarians have been able to collect only about 200 on the Palestinian side of the crossing due to insecurity and restricted access.
“While letting us bring in some nutrition and medical supplies, as well as flour, Israeli authorities have banned most other items, including fuel, cooking gas, shelter and hygiene products,” the HCT said.
Let us work
The UN and partners underscored Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law, and urged it to treat civilians humanely, with respect for their inherent dignity, refrain from forcible transfer and facilitate the aid that is needed.
“We echo the Secretary-General’s calls: a permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and full humanitarian access,” it said, adding:
“We are ready to save lives. Let us work. The window to prevent famine is closing fast.”
Sep 19 (IANS) At least two people were killed in Japan and some nine million others asked to evacuate from their homes after super typhoon Nanmadol, deemed to be one of the worst, made landfall in the region of Kyushu, bringing heavy rain and gales, local media reported on Monday.
In Fukuoka prefecture, a man who was believed to be on his way to find shelter from the typhoon was found collapsed and later confirmed dead, reports Xinhua news agency.
Another man was declared dead after being pulled out of a car submerged in a flooded farmland in Miyazaki prefecture, according to local authorities.
According to a Miyazaki prefectural official, a man in his 40s was reported missing after his cabin was destroyed by a landslide.
Typhoon/Ians
The 14th typhoon of the year was moving near Hagi, Yamaguchi prefecture on Monday afternoon, at a speed of some 20 km per hour.
It had an atmospheric pressure of 975 hectopascals at its centre, packing winds up to 108 kph with maximum gusts of 162 kph.
More than 70 people were injured amid the extreme weather, with bullet trains suspended in Kyushu on Monday and around 600 flights cancelled by the country’s two main airlines ANA and Japan Airlines, the local media reports said.
The typhoon is expected to travel across Japan’s largest island, Honshu through Tuesday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency continuing to issue warnings for strong winds, high tides and mudslides.
Typhoon/Ians
Tens of thousands of people spent Sunday night in emergency shelters, and almost 350,000 homes are without power.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has delayed a visit to New York, where he is due to give speech at the UN General Assembly, until Tuesday, to monitor the impact of the storm.
