Key facts
- Nearly 1.5 million people are displaced across Haiti, the International Organization for Migration said.
- About 80% of internally displaced people are now outside Port-au-Prince.
- The sharpest recent increase in displacement is in the Artibonite department.
- Armed gangs control nearly all of Port-au-Prince and are expanding into rural areas.
- Hundreds of thousands of displaced people live in precarious conditions.
Haiti's displacement crisis has expanded beyond its capital, with nearly 1.5 million people uprooted across the country, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) published on Friday. The report indicated that approximately 80% of those internally displaced are now located outside Port-au-Prince. The Artibonite department, once considered a safe haven, has seen the sharpest recent increase in displacement between May and August 2026 due to escalating insecurity. Armed gangs, which maintain near-total control over Port-au-Prince, have been extending their reach into rural areas. Recent armed attacks in Kenscoff, near the capital, displaced over 4,000 people, with reports of burnings, kidnappings, and killings. Hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals are residing in informal settlements and other precarious conditions, heightening their vulnerability during the Atlantic hurricane season. Elise Verron, IOM Haiti Senior Emergency Coordinator, stated that a major storm could trigger another humanitarian emergency for these already displaced families.