Haiti Crisis Response Plan 2025

CRP last updated: December 17 2024
$84,500,000
Funding required
1,245,000
People Targeted
16
Entities targeted

IOM, in collaboration with key government and non-governmental stakeholders, will enhance the capacity of national institutions to manage human mobility, equipping Haiti to address migration and displacement related challenges effectively. Through coordinated efforts across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, IOM will address the root causes of irregular migration and internal displacement, reducing forced movement and the vulnerability of crisis-affected and at-risk populations. IOM will ensure that migration and displacement is mainstreamed into Haiti’s development agenda through policy and legislation, aligned with the Global Compact for Migration and the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, strengthening resilience and fostering sustainable solutions, contributing to long-term stability and development. 

IOM staff and community members collaborate on a road rehabilitation project in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. © IOM 2024

INFORM Risk

7.2, Very high 

INFORM Severity

4, High 

Human Development Index

158 of 193 

Haiti faces a severe humanitarian crisis marked by escalating violence, forced displacement, irregular migration, and a lack of basic services. The country has long been grappling with overlapping crises, including political instability, socioeconomic collapse, natural hazards, and rampant gang violence. Since September 2022, the situation has worsened, with gangs expanding their control and carrying out brutal attacks on critical infrastructure in Port-au-Prince, including schools, hospitals, and police stations. This has led to the collapse of essential services, including healthcare and education, further exacerbating humanitarian needs. In March 2024, violence skyrocketed in Port-au-Prince with numerous and repeated attacks, leaving the population of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area under a state of siege. The violence has exacerbated social tensions, particularly in schools, where displaced families have sought refuge, and it has disproportionately impacted women and girls, who face heightened risks of sexual violence, trafficking, displacement, and limited access to essential services. 

As of September 2024, there were more than 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Haiti, almost 22 per cent more than in June 2024. Violence and displacement go beyond the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince (MAPAP). From January to September 2024, around 130,000 Haitians were forcibly returned to the country, most of them via land borders. In October 2024, there has been a dramatic increase of migrants deported by the Dominican Republic, counting almost 1,000 people per day.

IOM Haiti works closely with United Nations agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UN Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN Women, as well as key national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As a member of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), IOM participates in regular meetings, joint planning exercises, and information sharing to maximize resources and avoid service duplication. IOM is a signatory agency of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and contributes to the Haiti Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and related Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO).  

IOM works with the United Nations Integrated Bureau in Haiti (BINUH) to reinforce the Haitian government’s capacities to manage and secure border areas, support the humane and orderly management of migration, with a focus on migrants in vulnerable situations and victims of trafficking (VoTs), and strengthen the rule of law. In addition, IOM supports national and local authorities in disaster preparedness and emergency response and provides humanitarian and protection assistance to IDPs affected by gang violence as well as forcibly returned migrants. IOM co-leads the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster together with the Housing and Public Construction Unit (UCLBP) and the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC) to manage and coordinate interventions in displacement sites. IOM also co-leads the Shelter/Non-food Items (SNFI) cluster together with the DGPC, managing the NFI Common Pipeline System.  

IOM participates in the Cash Working Group and Humanitarian Access Working Group, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and coordinates the area of responsibility of Migrants’ Protection within the Protection Cluster with the National Office for Migration (ONM). IOM leads the national Migration Working Group of the UN Migration Network and co-leads the national counter-trafficking coordination group with the national counter-trafficking committee (CNLTP).  

While the MSSM is not affiliated with the UN, IOM, along with other UN agencies and BINUH, participates in the Dialogue Cell, which is a forum that ensures coordinated action to maximize results.

Since the opening of IOM’s country operations in 1994, IOM has closely worked with the Government of Haiti (GoH) on migration management and capacity-strengthening programmes, addressing internal displacement and international migration caused by years of turmoil. Guided by the IOM Regional Office for Central America, North America and the Caribbean, IOM Haiti supports the GoH in identifying and addressing migration and displacement challenges. IOM has also extended its cooperation with the government to address the effects of disasters on vulnerable people and promote resilience and coping mechanisms.   

IOM Haiti’s activities are coordinated by its main country office in Port-au-Prince, an additional sub-office in Cap Haitien and three satellite offices located in Camp Perrin, Ouanaminthe and Belladere. With 223 national staff and 30 international staff as of October 2024, IOM's presence across the country allows for the implementation of country-wide interventions and its pre-positioning capacity ensures rapid emergency response after a sudden event. Moreover, IOM maintains pre-positioned NFI stocks in partnership with the DGPC in Belladere, Gonaives, Jeremie, Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes, and Cap Haitien, which can be requested by implementing partners through the common pipeline, enabling them to request items from the IOM pre-positioned stock in the event of a disaster.  

IOM Haiti supported the establishment of four Border Resource Centres (BRC), each located at an official border crossing point (Ouanaminthe, Belladere, Malpasse and Anse-a-Pitres), which function under the leadership of the state registration agents from the National Office of Migration. The BRCs provide emergency assistance to migrants in vulnerable situations in proximity to the official border crossing points, especially to migrants who have been forcibly returned. The services include the provision of psychosocial support, especially for women and children, and support with identity document (ID) issuance, as well as a host of other services provided by IOM, including medical assistance, temporary shelter, and movement assistance.  

Leveraging its extensive geographical presence, IOM’s interventions also aim to support the government and communities in restoring stability and fostering social cohesion by strengthening local leadership, particularly in areas affected by displacement. Key activities include reinforcing public institutions to improve resilience, promoting inclusive dialogue, and rehabilitating public infrastructure.

Synergy across initiatives is ensured by close coordination among key stakeholders involved in humanitarian assessment, protection and human rights in Haiti, such as the ONM, DGPC, Direction Nationale de l'Eau Potable et de l'Assainissement (DINEPA), Directorate of Immigration and Emigration (DIE), Haitian Border Police (POLIFRONT), and more. IOM leverages its long-standing cooperation with these public institutions to directly support them in the management of displacement sites, and in the coordination with different stakeholders to support progress towards durable solutions to the displacement situation. IOM notably provides support to the DGPC to manage the prepositioning of stocks and increases the institution’s capacity in data management and data collection.  

Furthermore, IOM provides its technical support during weekly IDP emergency meetings convened by the DGPC and supported the Directorate with the launch of the strategy to address displacement in the MAPAP. The strategy provides a multisectoral approach to protect and support IDPs, host families and host communities and identifies priority actions to improve their living conditions and to support durable solutions depending on the evolution of the security context. At the local level, IOM constantly strengthens the existing coordination mechanisms with the Boards of the Municipal Sections (CASECs) and the Assemblies of the Communal Sections (ASECs) in order to improve its localized response. IOM is also providing support to the Centre de Reception et Livraison des Documents d’Identité to support the GoH in the delivery of identity documents, which are necessary to access a wider range of social services, to the Ministry of Education to address issues related to displacement and access to education in the MAPAP, and to the Institut de Bien-Etre Social et de Recherche for all matters related to providing assistance to forcibly returned children at the border with the Dominican Republic. Lastly, in response to rising forced returns at the Dominican-Haitian border and political tensions, IOM aims to enhance binational dialogue and bilateral cooperation by organizing high-level meetings to improve border security and manage migration, as well as by facilitating joint mechanisms to address cross-border illegal activities.  

Key Operating Modalities
Participation and empowerment Conflict sensitivity Integrated Programming Collaboration and partnership Localization Cash-based interventions
Cross-cutting priorities
Data and evidence Protection Mainstreaming Gender Equality Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse Disaster Risk Climate Change Law and policy

In Haiti, IOM’s localization strategy centres on empowering local actors and communities to take ownership of humanitarian and development initiatives, ensuring that interventions are sustainable and responsive to local needs. IOM Haiti’s efforts are guided by the five pillars of its Localization Framework: 1) Partnerships/Funding: Collaborating with local implementing partners, such as medical insurance companies and NGOs providing food and shelter for forcibly returned migrants, to ensure resources are managed locally; 2) Capacity Strengthening/Mentorship: Enhancing the skills of key stakeholders, such as the DGPC on disaster risk reduction and ONM on migrants’ protection; 3) Participation: Facilitating community-based planning meetings, where local authorities and community members take the lead in prioritizing projects like rehabilitations based on community needs, with an emphasis on the inclusive participation of women and women’s rights organizations; 4) Locally-led Coordination: Engaging in the Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) working group alongside local NGOs to foster participatory disaster response; and 5) Visibility/Advocacy: Regularly sharing beneficiary stories and highlighting local successes in IOM intervention with the donor communities, ensuring that community voices are heard and recognized at all levels.

Objective 1 - Saving lives and protecting people on the move
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$55,000,000
Funding required
581,000
People Targeted
8
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Internal migrant
International migrant
Local population / community

IOM Haiti will ensure that crisis-affected populations in Haiti, including IDPs, forcibly returned migrants and community members affected by violence or natural hazards, meet their basic needs and improve their living conditions. This will be achieved through the provision of food assistance, water and sanitation services, protection assistance, health services, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), dignified shelter and transportation assistance, tailored to gender-specific needs, to alleviate suffering. IOM will support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of homes and buildings affected by disasters and gang violence. This includes providing shelter materials and essential household items, conducting structural evaluations, and offering rental subsidies to vulnerable displaced households for safe housing. IOM will also strengthen the non-food item (NFI) Common Pipeline to ensure timely delivery of life-saving supplies that consider the diverse needs of all genders and ages. By sharing disaggregated data on mobility and displacement, IOM informs assistance delivery and policies that address the specific needs of affected populations in Haiti, ensuring that gender considerations are integrated across all levels of programming and decision-making.  

Objective 2 - Driving solutions to displacement
Driving solutions to displacement

$23,000,000
Funding required
424,000
People Targeted
5
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Local population / community
Internally displaced person
Internal migrant
International migrant

IOM Haiti will contribute to minimizing the factors compelling people to leave their homes by promoting social cohesion, improve security, and supporting socioeconomic and political changes, creating conditions for long-term stability. IOM will also strengthen community trust, help to extend state authority in areas impacted by violence and empower communities and individuals – particularly women and youth – to actively contribute to stabilization efforts leading to enhanced security and restoration of peace. Activities include reinforcing local leadership with gender-inclusive representation and multi-level governance in areas hosting or receiving IDPs or forcibly returned migrants, promoting access to essential services, and rehabilitating public infrastructure to build resilience to risks and disasters. 

To foster self-reliance and resiliency, IOM will enhance inclusive dialogue, promote inclusive decision-making mechanisms, engage communities in recovery, and foster opportunities in key economic sectors. These initiatives will empower IDPs, forcibly returned migrants, and local communities to participate in peaceful, inclusive coexistence. IOM will also support returnees’ sustainable reintegration, integrating environmental and climate dimensions into reintegration activities to promote environmental sustainability and economic opportunities in their communities of origin. 

Facilitating pathways for regular migration
Facilitating pathways for regular migration

$6,500,000
Funding required
240,000
People Targeted
7
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Internal migrant
International migrant
Local population / community

IOM will facilitate pathways for regular migration by supporting the development of effective, gender-sensitive migration management systems that reduce crisis-driven irregular migration and protect vulnerable populations through data collection, policy development, and community engagement. The deployment of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) will enable evidence-based, rights-based mobility management, tailored to the unique challenges faced in crisis-affected areas. Coupled with integrated training and enhanced operational capacities at border points, these efforts will help prevent trafficking and smuggling while ensuring non-discriminatory border management policies that uphold the dignity and rights of all persons throughout their migration journey, with a focus on women and youth. 

To mitigate the vulnerabilities of migrants in crisis settings, IOM will implement awareness campaigns focused on regular migration pathways and the importance of legal identity, targeting both local communities affected by crisis and Haitian consulates abroad, and offer reintegration support for forcibly returned migrants as well as family reunification, including for unaccompanied children, in reuniting with their families in their communities of origin. By collaborating with partners, IOM will strengthen gender-sensitive protection responses adapted to the heightened risks migrants face during crises, enabling migrants to navigate the migration process safely, in alignment with international standards and best practices. 

Objective 1
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
$55,000,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Human suffering is alleviated","y":86},{"name":"Threats and vulnerabilities are reduced","y":6.5},{"name":"The quality of humanitarian assistance is enhanced","y":7.5}]
Objective 2
Driving solutions to displacement
$23,000,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Adverse drivers of displacement are minimized","y":52},{"name":"Displaced people are resilient and self-reliant","y":30.5},{"name":"Displaced people benefit from solutions","y":17.5}]
Objective 3
Facilitating pathways for regular migration
$6,500,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Channels for regular migration are sustainable and responsive","y":29},{"name":"Migration flows and cross-border mobility are well managed","y":36},{"name":"Migration policy and legal frameworks are aligned with international standards","y":28},{"name":"Migrants are protected from violence, exploitation and abuse","y":7}]

Percentage of funding required contributing to the long term outcomes expressed on IOM's Strategic Results Framework.

$800,000
Funding required
Related inter agency plans
H(N)RP UNSDCF

IOM Haiti’s interventions mainstream protection, including gender-based violence (GBV), in its programming, addressing the unique vulnerabilities of forcibly returned migrants, displaced populations, and those affected by crises. IOM integrates protection principles – Do No Harm; Ensuring Meaningful Access; Accountability; and Participation and Empowerment – into all activities to respect the safety, dignity, and uphold the rights of all individuals, particularly women, children, people with disabilities, victims of trafficking (VoTs), and GBV survivors. This includes raising awareness on IOM’s Institutional Framework for Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Crises (GBViC Framework). 

IOM’s do no harm approach in Haiti ensures that all programming mitigates protection and security risks and prevents further harm to vulnerable individuals. This includes safe programming, where IOM provides assistance in displacement sites and border areas while mainstreaming child safeguarding and gender-sensitive and -responsive approaches to ensure meaningful access to services for all groups.

$800,000
Funding required
[["Saving lives",63],["Solutions to displacement",25],["Pathways for regular migration",13]]
An IOM health worker provides medical support and information to Haitian community members in Port-au-Prince / © IOM 2024
An IOM health worker provides medical support and information to Haitian community members in Port-au-Prince / © IOM 2024
Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance
$4,500,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Camp coordination and camp management
$5,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Community stabilization and community-driven development
$7,300,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans UNSDCF
Data for action, insight and foresight
$6,500,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP UNSDCF
Disaster risk management
$8,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP UNSDCF
Health
$4,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP UNSDCF
Mental health and psychosocial support
$4,500,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP UNSDCF
Peacebuilding, violence and conflict reduction
$7,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans UNSDCF
Protection
$12,900,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Regular pathways
$2,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans UNSDCF
Shelter and settlements
$12,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Water, sanitation and hygiene
$9,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Movement assistance
$1,000,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Operational presence in

Haiti

16
International staff and affiliated work force
323
National staff and affiliated work force
6
IOM field office

 

The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.

Figures are as of 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.