标签： Haiti

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season formally got underway on June 1, launching a six-month period of weather risk that will extend through the end of November for vulnerable coastal nations including Haiti. While official U.S. forecasting from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) points to a higher likelihood of a milder-than-average season this year, local risk management leaders are sounding a clear warning: even one powerful storm is enough to trigger catastrophic damage in Haiti’s current unstable state.

NOAA’s official outlook puts the probability of a below-normal hurricane season at 55%, with a 35% chance of near-normal activity and just a 10% chance of an above-normal season. The agency’s forecast, which carries a 70% confidence level, projects 8 to 14 total named storms (systems with sustained winds of 63 km/h or higher). Of those, 3 to 6 are expected to strengthen into hurricanes with winds of at least 119 km/h, and 1 to 3 could intensify into major Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes packing winds of 179 km/h or more. For comparison, an average Atlantic season typically sees 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes, putting 2026’s projected activity well below historical norms.

But the Alliance for Risk Management and Business Continuity (AGERCA), a Haitian risk management body, stresses that a forecast for lower overall activity does not eliminate the threat of disaster for the Caribbean nation. “Even a single hurricane can devastate communities, claiming lives, forcing mass displacement, destroying critical infrastructure and knocking out essential services,” the organization noted, emphasizing that risk cannot be dismissed based on seasonal outlooks.

This year’s hurricane season opens against an uniquely precarious backdrop for Haiti, which has been grappling with widespread gang violence that has driven massive population displacement, left large swathes of the country inaccessible to aid groups, weakened already fragile public infrastructure, and severely strained the government’s ability to coordinate emergency response.

Against this context, AGERCA has issued an urgent call to action for all segments of Haitian society – from individual citizens and local communities to government institutions, private businesses, and civil society organizations – to prioritize immediate hurricane preparedness measures.

The organization has outlined a set of key actionable steps for groups and individuals to take ahead of any potential storm landfall. First, it urges the public to only obtain weather and emergency updates through verified official channels, including Haiti’s Civil Protection Directorate, the national Hydrometeorological Unit, AGERCA itself, and established, reputable media outlets. It also advises organizations to update their internal emergency contact lists and key focal point information, review existing business continuity plans to account for current operating conditions, and secure critical physical documents, digital data, equipment and core assets.

For individual households, AGERCA recommends assembling a customized emergency kit stocked to meet specific family needs, and pre-identifying reliable alternative communication channels that can be used if standard cell service and internet connections are disrupted during a storm. Finally, the organization urges the public to avoid spreading unconfirmed information, which can spark unnecessary public panic and undermine inter-agency emergency coordination efforts when a storm approaches.

On May 28, 2026, senior Haitian government officials and a senior French delegation gathered in Port-au-Prince for a substantive working session focused on advancing collaborative development initiatives aligned with Haiti’s top national priorities. Leading the Haitian side was Sandra Paulemon, Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, joined by her senior leadership team including Guy Roméro Latry, Director General of the Ministry, and Paul Ruddy Mentor, Chief of Staff. The French delegation was headed by Antoine Michon, French Ambassador to Haiti, and included senior representatives from two key French development institutions: Expertise France and the French Development Agency (AFD).

Opening the session, Minister Paulemon opened by highlighting the longstanding productive partnership between Haiti and France, singling out the robust cooperation the two nations have built in the critical security sector. She outlined the three core priorities laid out in the current Haitian government’s National Pact, under the leadership of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime: restoring widespread national security, driving inclusive economic and social recovery across the country, and successfully organizing upcoming general elections.

Paulemon also raised a key procedural point to improve future project delivery: she called on international development partners to integrate Haiti’s Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation into project design and planning from the earliest stages. This closer involvement, she argued, would enable stronger cross-sector coordination, as well as more rigorous ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all external development interventions to ensure they deliver intended outcomes for Haitian communities.

In response, Ambassador Michon and his team presented the full portfolio of French-supported projects currently active across Haiti, totaling roughly 15 initiatives spread across multiple regions and key sectors. These projects span agriculture, food security, primary and secondary education, public health, democratic governance, biodiversity conservation, and cultural preservation. Michon reaffirmed France’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Haitian government in advancing the three national priorities outlined by Paulemon.

The ambassador detailed existing French security assistance already underway: this includes ongoing training programs for Haitian military personnel hosted in Martinique, and multiple capacity-building initiatives tailored to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Haitian National Police. He also outlined the scope of French humanitarian and social development work across the country, and confirmed France stands ready to provide full support to Haitian electoral authorities as they prepare for the upcoming planned elections.

The session also touched on institutional capacity building within Haiti’s government. Minister Paulemon stressed the need for continued long-term technical support for staff at both her ministry and other sectoral government bodies, with a specific focus on leveraging specialized expertise from institutions like Expertise France. She outlined ongoing internal reforms aimed at strengthening the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, including expanding the mandate and resources of the Directorate of Public Investment and reinforcing the operational capacity of Study and Programming Units (UEPs) embedded within each sectoral ministry.

Closing the working session, Paulemon reaffirmed the Haitian government’s commitment to deepening ongoing dialogue with all international development partners, with the shared goal of improving coordination of development interventions and ensuring all external support aligns closely with the national development priorities set by the democratically elected Haitian government.

Amid a catastrophic humanitarian emergency that has left more than half of Haiti’s population dependent on outside aid, a cross-organizational humanitarian partnership has launched a large-scale emergency intervention to support over 400,000 people grappling with the fallout of spreading armed conflict and mass displacement.

Known as the REZILYANS AYITI consortium, the initiative brings together five leading global and local humanitarian actors: Plan International, the Centre for Rural Development and Community Action (CAPAC), Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and Save the Children. Backed by funding from the Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean, the response will focus on three hard-hit Haitian departments: West, Central, and Artibonite, running through October 2026.

Haiti’s ongoing crisis has pushed the country to the brink of a widespread humanitarian collapse. Current data confirms that 6.4 million Haitians—more than 50% of the total population—require urgent life-saving assistance. An April 2026 analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that 5.8 million people are currently facing acute food insecurity, with conditions worsening by the month. Mass population displacement triggered by escalating violence has cut off millions from access to basic healthcare, clean water, and other essential services, while driving up protection risks for vulnerable groups across the country. Experts have repeatedly called for rapid, coordinated, multi-sector action to stem the worsening situation.

The REZILYANS AYITI project will target 10 vulnerable communities across the three priority regions, with a layered set of interventions designed to address both immediate needs and longer-term community resilience. The core of the response includes flexible multipurpose cash assistance for displaced households and the local communities that have welcomed them. The initiative also prioritizes strengthening food security, expanding access to safe drinking water, upgrading hygiene and sanitation infrastructure, and scaling up critical nutrition services. Specifically, the program will improve access to prevention, early screening, and clinical treatment for global acute malnutrition in both displacement camps and host communities.

A key pillar of the intervention is a dedicated child protection framework, tailored to support minors disproportionately impacted by the conflict. This includes integrated psychosocial support for children who have experienced trauma, systematic case management for at-risk youth, and targeted community outreach to identify separated, unaccompanied, or otherwise vulnerable children. Once identified, children are referred to specialized essential services, with particular focus placed on meeting the unique needs of girls and other marginalized groups facing heightened protection risks.

Against a backdrop of unmet, steadily growing humanitarian needs across Haiti, the REZILYANS AYITI consortium’s integrated, community-centered approach marks a major effort to reverse some of the worst impacts of the ongoing crisis. Beyond meeting immediate survival needs, the initiative is designed to reduce widespread protection risks, restore a sense of dignity for displaced and conflict-affected populations, and build long-term resilience for communities that have borne the brunt of years of escalating instability.