AVSI’s Gabriele Regio, shares “For a year, (Haiti) has been held hostage by gangs and malnutrition”

“For a year, Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has been under the control of armed gangs, including its access routes. Trade and movement of people are restricted and unsafe, which is one of the causes of malnutrition in infants and young children. Despite the violence, we manage to continue our work almost without interruption, thanks to over 100 local staff members who live on-site.” Speaking to Dire is Gabriele Regio, AVSI’s Haiti Country Representative.

The capital, which counts 1.2 million people, is caught in clashes between armed gangs and security forces, often involving civilians, with hundreds killed and thousands displaced. In the latest incident last week, 40 people died, including 20 civilians.

The insecurity affects economic activities—markets shut down, farming halts—and, according to UN data, around 5.5 million people in the country rely on aid, with nearly 60% of the population living in poverty and one million young people unable to attend school.

Lack of jobs and restricted access to food due to trade disruptions contribute to malnutrition. "Children are malnourished because their mothers do not get enough to eat either," says Regio. “That’s why, when we confirm that a child is suffering from acute or severe malnutrition, we also assist the family. So far, around 5,000 children have been helped. Every morning, we deliver highly nutritious food kits and medicine for the child, while mothers receive food packages, conditioned on the child’s recovery.” The risk, Regio explains, is that the supplies might be shared among other family members.

But the real challenge to the success of these programs comes from Washington. The recent decision by the Trump administration to freeze funding for international cooperation is jeopardizing many humanitarian organizations, including AVSI’s fight against malnutrition.

The coordinator explains: “We have four projects funded by USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, three of which focus on food assistance, nutrition, and combating malnutrition. The funding freeze significantly affected us. While we have received a waiver allowing some activities to continue, funding remains blocked, making it difficult to sustain operations in the long term.”

“As you can imagine,” the coordinator adds, “interrupting these programs has a huge impact on the survival of these children.”

Delivering food is not the only way to support the people of Haiti. Regio continues: “We have mobile or fixed clinics with gynecologists and psychologists on board to support women and young victims of sexual violence, as conflict and economic insecurity increase violence against women, even within families. AVSI also plans activities for awareness and education for young people: “With schools closed for a long time - Regio warns- children and teenagers are living on the streets witnessing only violence, and the risk of joining armed gangs is huge.”

Finally, there is mention of programs for income generation. “For example, - says the AVSI representative - in agreement with the communities, we have a project to hire 84 workers for a period of four months, providing them with tools and protective kits to clean the drainage canals of waste. When they become clogged, the streets flood, leading to epidemics.” So far, 600 people have already been involved, benefiting from a stable income, with positive effects on the entire community: “This - concludes Regio - is what development looks like.