A three year drought in Haiti has affected the lives of around a million people – roughly a tenth of the country’s population.
The U.N.’s World Food Programme is set to launch an emergency operation to help those affected by the drought, which has recently been made worse by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Farmer Roseline says the drought has halted their livelihood.
“This is a tough zone to live in. All of our animals died. We used to be able to work, but now we can’t because it hasn’t rained,” said the mother of five.
WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said more global attention needed to return to the country as it struggles with the drought.
“The world has forgotten Haiti. This country has suffered through 3 years of drought, 2 years that were climate related, now El Niño drought. I’m with a family who is representative of what is happening to the most vulnerable people here in Haiti. Because of lack of water, lack of rain and the agriculture is rain-fed, that means that charcoal is the only way for a family to earn a living,” she said.
Around a third of Haiti’s 10 million population face food insecurity including 1.5 million who do not know what or when their next meal will be.