The hair on broomstick-thin children has turned patchy and orangish, their stomachs have ballooned to the size of their heads and many look half their age the tell-tale signs of malnutrition. Mabriole town official Geneus Lissage fears that death is imminent for these children if Haitian authorities and humanitarian workers dont do more to stem the hunger problems. They will be counting bodies, Lissage said, because malnutrition is ravaging children, youngsters and babies.
Three years after an earthquake killed hundreds of thousands and the U.S. promised that Haiti would build back better, hunger is worse than ever. Despite billions of dollars from around the world pledged toward rebuilding efforts, the countrys food problems underscore just how vulnerable its 10 million people remain.
A malnourished 4-year-old Michelene Thelusme sits outside her home in Belle Anse, Haiti. In a country where half the food is imported, meals are becoming less affordable as the value of Haiti's currency depreciates against the U.S. dollar.
In 1997, some 1.2 million Haitians didnt have enough food to eat. A decade later the number had more than doubled. Today, that figure is 6.7 million, or a staggering 67 percent of the population that goes without food some days, cant afford a balanced diet or has limited access to food, according to surveys by the governments National Coordination of Food Security. As many as 1.5 million of those face malnutrition and other hunger-related problems.
This is scandalous. This should not be, said Claude Beauboeuf, a Haitian economist and sometime consultant to relief groups. But Im not surprised, because some of the people in the slums eat once every two days.
MORE
