The French NGO Aid to Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) has been working in Haiti since 2006 to respond to chronic crisis situations, says that the agricultural, economic and socio-political situation is under tension in Haiti.

At the agricultural level, ACTED explains that the harvest yield of the spring 2019 crop (which normally accounts for half of Haiti's annual agricultural yield) dropped dramatically following the droughts that affected almost every department of the country. The NGO estimates that the food situation of the country has deteriorated further and that 38% of the Haitian population currently needs food aid.

Famine Early Warning Systems Network) (FEWS NET) in partnership with the National Coordination of Food Security (CNSA) abound in the same sens, revealing at the end of September "according to forecasts for 2019/2020, the global production of cereals (rice, maize and sorghum) will decrease by almost 12.3% compared to 2018/2019. Maize and rice would experience the largest decline. The drop in cereal production would be due to the negative chain impacts of the poor performance of the spring season on the summer and winter crop seasons," estimating this local grain decline at more than 42,000 metric tons.

The Haitian Government, aware of this situation by reading many other indicators in the red, via the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bocchit Edmond asked in a letter to the US Secretary of State Michael Richard Pompeo an emergency food aid "[...] On behalf of the Government of the Republic, I urgently call for urgent assistance and logistical support from your country for the distribution of this aid [...]" adding that this is a priority of President Moïse but that "the mechanisms put in place, lack of adequate financial resources have unfortunately not yet produced the expected results [...]"

He underlines that the situation in Haiti with regard to food security has seriously deteriorated with the socio-political crisis that the country has been going through for several months warning "[...] the people who are hungry can not wait for the resolution of the political crisis to having access to food [...] It is about of the own dignity, the sustainable development of the country as well as security and national stability [...]", finally asking the Secretary of State Pompeo to follow up from the relevant departments of the United States Government.

So far nothing has filtered from the US decision to this request.

SL/ HaitiLibre