By: Anja VanderZee
This week, I will be discussing how the war between Russia and Ukraine has made an impact on Haiti and its people. The war has had devastating consequences for people directly involved, but also for countries such as Haiti that rely heavily on imports for life sustaining materials. According to The Haitian Times, “Russia exports $6.78 million worth of supplies to Haiti, including wheat, plastic pipes and medical instruments.” These supplies truly can mean the difference between life and death and a lack of them could be very dangerous. An article published in December of 2020 by Action Against Hunger wrote that “nearly 42% of the Haitian population – 4 million people – are experiencing acute hunger, and that number is expected to increase to 4.4 million in the coming months” This was back in the beginning of the pandemic, and before the political crisis involving the war had hit. With nearly half of the population already facing food insecurity, it is difficult to gauge the sheer amount of those who will not be able to afford the rising cost of food due to inflated costs as imported goods are harder to come by. Being the poorest country in the LAC region, the rise in prices with items such as oil, rice, flour, and other equipment supplied by Russia means that the divide and socioeconomic issues Haiti faces can only be expected to intensify.
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview#:~:text=Latest%20estimates%20put%20the%202021,greatest%20inequality%20in%20the%20region.
- https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/story/hunger-haiti-addressing-food-insecurity-challenges?gclid=CjwKCAjwqJSaBhBUEiwAg5W9p4uXgSoYEQqNXjXIULsYsJBxRnTcCeYR9MGJMSPP7txVg8MH0RRNphoCU2kQAvD_BwE
- https://www.freeworldmaps.net/centralamerica/haiti/map.html
- https://www.voanews.com/a/ukraine-crisis-threatens-food-security-in-haiti-/6497852.html