Haiti faces food shortages

The 2013 Humanitarian Action Plan seeks in particular to address the problem of food insecurity in the Caribbean nation, which was already the poorest in the Americas, before the 2010 earthquake devastated infrastructure and killed more than 250,000.

According to official figures, about two million Haitians are currently unable to ensure consistent access to sufficient amounts of safe, nutritious food.

"Haiti is moving along its path towards sustainable development. Yet we recognise that millions of the most vulnerable people, especially women and children, face critical needs," Rose-Anne Auguste, the Haitian minister charged with human rights and the battle against poverty, said in the capital.

"We must address these needs," she said.

This year was tough for Haiti, according to Nigel Fisher, the UN's humanitarian representative who said that drought, Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy all took a toll on the country.

These events "left millions of people with less food, fewer jobs and fewer fields to work. We must help them re-establish themselves," he said. Fisher called on international partners to continue their aid efforts for Haiti.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge