Feeding Haiti’s children amidst violent insecurity

In the face of continued violent unrest in Haiti, Mary’s Meals is providing hope in the form of school meals to children across the troubled Caribbean island.

Haiti – the poorest country in the Americas – has been plagued by extreme violence and insecurity since 2018, which escalated following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. A recent report from the UN stated that 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence in the first quarter of 2024. An earlier UN report estimated that 80% of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by gangs. Many schools in the country have had to close to protect the safety of their students.

The latest data from Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) shows that 4.97 million people in Haiti – nearly half of the population – are facing acute food insecurity in crisis or emergency levels.

Mary’s Meals has been operating in Haiti since 2006 and currently serves more than 175,000 children every school day. Despite the ongoing turbulence, we have managed to purchase, deliver, and provide meals for the vast majority of children in the school feeding programme, thanks to the dedication of our local partners Bureau de Nutrition et Développement (BND), Caritas Hinche, and Summits Education.

Emmline Toussaint, Administrative and Financial Director at BND, explains the horrors facing the people of Haiti, which she says are on a scale that isn’t fully realised by the outside world: “If I have to say what we are living through, on a daily basis in Haiti, anybody would think I’m talking about a fictional book. Many employees, including myself, had to flee our homes because the situation was really bad. We have so many people dying and we cannot count how many people are really dying. What you see in the news is not the reality. Unfortunately, I think it's way worse.”

The continued availability of Mary’s Meals in Haiti is only possible thanks to the selflessness of Emmline, her colleagues at BND, our many other partner colleagues, and the community - Haiti volunteers who help deliver the program. In a context where political and environmental stability is so volatile, this commitment is remarkable.

Emmline says: “As soon as the ports reopened, we had the stocks. But now, we have to deliver them to the schools, which is quite difficult. Our trucks are being stopped every 50 to 100 kilometres by gang members, but they have been able to pass.”

By providing nutritious daily meals in school, Mary’s Meals is helping to offer some stability to the children of Haiti, while also providing much-needed relief to their families who are likely to be struggling to feed them at home. Alongside our local partners, we hope that by keeping youngsters in the classroom, the next generation of Haitians won’t be drawn into the violence currently engulfing their country.

Emmline explains: “School feeding is the best way to keep children at school. We know that they are attracted by the food but what they are getting is not only the food but also an education. We are sure that children can go to class, we are sure that they are taking their notebooks and not guns.”

Our school feeding program is helping siblings Jean Ishel, four, and Felisha Maria, six, who started school in January after their father went missing – presumed dead – in Port-au-Prince. They moved house with their mother and she spoke to the local school principal who agreed to admit them for free. Emmline says: “You could see the change in their behaviour, because now they can eat something, they can go to school. Of course this will not replace their dad, but at least they can live peacefully.”

The work of our incredible partners and local volunteers is bringing hope to communities who are facing unimaginable challenges and ensuring that children can rely on a filling meal every school day.

Your support and kindness can make a huge difference to children in Haiti and beyond who are living through very difficult circumstances. Please support Mary’s Meals today.