The agency’s spokesperson James Elder has just visited Port-au-Prince, the capital of the embattled Caribbean nation and has been speaking about what he experienced there.
A U-reporter gives a presentation on proper hygiene practices and cholera prevention.
U-Report is a digital platform created by UNICEF to engage communities, especially youth, in social issues.
And in Haiti, in one month in 2024 alone, U-reporter efforts led to the identification and referral of cases of malnutrition, under-vaccination and essential support for pregnant women in displaced sites and host communities.
Underfunded programmes
Haiti’s progress starts with its children. With incredible partners, UNICEF has created 32 mobile safe spaces to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, deployed more than 380 health professionals across 105 institutions, distributed cash to almost 30,000 families and treated more than 80,000 children for moderate and severe wasting.
Programmes that meet children’s needs can disrupt cycles of violence and reduce the risk of them becoming perpetrators or victims.
Despite this, UNICEF Haiti’s 2024 emergency funding appeal of $221.4 million was 72 per cent underfunded.
This starkly contrasts with the urgent need for education, protection and development opportunities to prevent children from being drawn into violence. Without these efforts, violence will continue to consume future generations.”