The economic and social development of Haiti continues to be hampered by political instability, increasing violence, unprecedented levels of insecurity, and exacerbated fragility. For the past three years, Haiti has been facing an upsurge in acts of violence of all kinds organized by armed gangs fighting for control of territories, as a way of better positioning themselves during national elections. The Haitian National Police is insufficiently equipped and trained to address this situation and to protect the population. The departure of Prime Minister Ariel Henry has fanned the flames of violence, and armed gangs have begun to dislodge people from residential areas, looting and burning down their homes and killing some of the owners. These people, gripped by fear, had to abandon everything, and end up in makeshift camps which in no way meet the basic needs of any human being. The different categories of people affected by this terror—girls, boys, women, men, people living with disabilities, etc.—find themselves in the same infrastructure, with no regard for their sex, privacy, dignity, or specific needs.

Gender-based violence has reached alarming levels, with aggression against women and girls, and more specifically rape, being used in most camps as a deliberate tactic to control access to humanitarian assistance. Children live in an environment that is ill suited to their needs; they find themselves out of school, malnourished, and exposed to the unhealthy acts and behaviors of poorly educated adults.