Haiti is experiencing an “alarming” rise in gender-based violence in the first quarter of 2026, with United Nations humanitarian agencies warning that survivors are facing growing barriers to essential services amid severe funding shortages.
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The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that humanitarian partners documented nearly 2,000 incidents of gender-based violence between January and March, averaging about 21 cases per day. More than 70% of the cases involved rape, marking a sharp increase from the previous quarter when rape accounted for 49% of reported incidents. Most of the attacks were gang rapes allegedly carried out by armed groups, with women and girls representing the majority of survivors.
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The surge follows a broader escalation in violence in 2025, when more than 8,000 cases were recorded, reflecting a 25% increase compared to the previous year. Humanitarian officials warned that the worsening trend is unfolding alongside a deepening funding crisis that is limiting support services for survivors.
Of the $15 million required this year to respond to gender-based violence, only about 8% has been secured so far. Officials cautioned that the funding gap is severely restricting access to emergency medical care within the critical 72-hour window after sexual assault, as well as limiting psychosocial support and temporary shelter services.
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“Partners on the ground report that with the resources available, some survivors have been able to access medical, psychosocial, and protection services such as safe spaces for women and girls,” OCHA noted, while stressing that available support remains far below actual needs.
Humanitarian agencies have called for urgent international funding to expand health, protection, and psychosocial services in the most affected communities. They also highlighted Haiti’s wider humanitarian emergency, where an estimated 1.45 million people are internally displaced and nearly six million face acute food insecurity, roughly half the country’s population.
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