In response to growing needs in the Republic of Haïti amid a socio-political impasse, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing $1 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support ongoing humanitarian operations.

This funding will pay for the WFP to provide air, sea, and road transport to help move emergency assistance to vulnerable Haitians amidst considerable insecurity and difficult access. It will also finance the storage of humanitarian supplies, as well as information-management and coordination support to keep the WFP's operations efficient and effective.

USAID is also working with the WFP to distribute an additional 2,200 metric tons (MT) of food, which will reach approximately 100,000 people and arrive in Haïti in the coming weeks. These 2,200 MT are in addition to 2,000 MT of USAID-funded commodities the WFP currently is delivering in response to the emergency food needs in the country, as announced in November. To date, the WFP has distributed approximately 749 MT to highly food-insecure Haïtian households.

USAID also has invested $20 million in ongoing emergency food-assistance programs throughout Haïti that support the most-vulnerable households with cash transfers and food vouchers, along with activities to strengthen livelihoods and promote key health and nutrition practices. In addition to food assistance, USAID supports communities in Haïti through funding for interventions in shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene that helps ensure they are prepared for potential disasters.

Shortages of fuel, roadblocks, protests, and violent incidents date restricted the movement of USAID staff and partners in recent months. This has resulted in the closure of some facilities and the interruption of programming, including essential health care. While USAID's humanitarian assistance will help alleviate some urgent needs, it will not, and cannot, address the root causes of the current economic and political gridlock in Haïti.