Haiti: Country Report | 2024

AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.

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Executive Summary

Key Trends: The Haitian Displacement Crisis

A Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe

Haiti confronts an unprecedented crisis of forced displacement, with the population of concern now exceeding a staggering one million people. This emergency is defined by its breathtaking velocity, driven almost entirely by a 231 per cent surge in internal displacement in the past year alone. As unrelenting gang violence and political collapse render entire communities uninhabitable, over one million Haitians are now displaced within their own borders. This internal exodus is compounded by the stark reality that as needs spiral, formal pathways to external protection are vanishing, with asylum applications dropping to zero in the last reporting period.

A Regional Crisis with Disproportionate Burdens

This internal turmoil has spiralled into a regional emergency, yet the responsibility to protect is not being shared equally. Low- and middle-income countries in the Americas continue to host the vast majority of displaced Haitians, with a disproportionate strain placed on the generosity of a few principal nations. For those who manage to seek asylum, safety remains a lottery. A fractured international response means recognition rates for Haitians average a mere 12.9 per cent, varying wildly from one country to the next. This inconsistency leaves countless individuals in perilous legal limbo, unable to rebuild their lives.

The Collapse of Durable Solutions

Most alarmingly, the very concept of a durable solution for those fleeing Haiti has all but evaporated from our data. We see a near-total absence of formal pathways to safety, with no recorded refugee status recognitions, resettlements, or voluntary returns for this population. This is not an absence of need but a catastrophic protection failure, trapping hundreds of thousands in a cycle of uncertainty and risk. Without a dramatic increase in international solidarity—through expanded access to asylum, robust support for host countries, and predictable responsibility-sharing—this crisis will continue to deepen, with devastating human consequences.

Population Overview

The scale of forced displacement in Haiti reached an unprecedented level, with the total population of concern surpassing 1 million people. The data reveals a crisis of staggering velocity, overwhelmingly characterized by internal displacement. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) swelled by over 723,000 between 2023 and 2024 alone, a devastating increase of 231 per cent. This brings the total IDP population to more than 1 million, who constitute the vast majority of all persons of concern in the country.

Behind these stark numbers lies a deepening protection crisis driven by escalating gang violence and political instability, which has rendered entire communities uninhabitable. The surge in internal displacement starkly contrasts with the diminishing options for external protection, as the number of Haitian asylum-seekers recorded fell by 100 per cent in the same period, dropping to zero. Furthermore, data consistently shows no recorded returns of either refugees or IDPs, signalling the intractable nature of the crisis and the profound risks preventing people from going home.

The demographic profile of the displaced underscores specific vulnerabilities. The population is youthful and predominantly female, with women and girls accounting for 55 per cent of the total. This composition highlights urgent needs for targeted interventions, including child protection, education, and robust programmes to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. While the crisis forces Haitians from their homes, Haiti itself hosts a negligible number of refugees from other nations, reinforcing its position as a country grappling with a profound internal emergency.

Demographics

AI Insight: A treemap of the 1,037,000 Population of Concern in Haiti, where the total is overwhelmingly composed of Internally Displaced Persons., This treemap visualization illustrates the breakdown of the 1,037,000 individuals considered populations of concern to UNHCR in Haiti as of 2024. The chart is composed of several rectangles, where the size of each rectangle is directly proportional to the population size of a specific category.

The statistical profile reveals a highly skewed distribution among the seven population types. The data is overwhelmingly dominated by a single category, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), which constitutes the vast majority of the total population. This is visually represented by one large rectangle that occupies most of the chart’s area.

The remaining categories are numerically insignificant in comparison. Data for ‘Returned Refugees’ and ‘Returned IDPs’ show zero individuals. Other groups, such as refugees and asylum-seekers, are represented by very small rectangles, indicating their minimal share of the total population of concern.

This distribution highlights the critical humanitarian situation within Haiti, which is primarily an internal displacement crisis driven by factors like gang violence and political instability. UNHCR’s operational focus in the country is consequently centered on addressing the protection and assistance needs of this large IDP population.

AI Insight: Population pyramid of persons of concern in Haiti by age and gender, where the population is youthful and has a higher proportion of females (55%) compared to males (45%)., This population pyramid displays the age and gender distribution for 1,351,441 persons of concern (including refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs) in Haiti as of 2024. The vertical axis represents five distinct age groups, while the horizontal axis shows the population percentage, with males on the left and females on the right.

The overall shape is expansive, typical of a young population, with a wide base in the younger age cohorts that narrows in the older cohorts. A key feature of this demographic is the gender imbalance: females constitute a larger portion of the population, accounting for approximately 55% of the total, compared to 45% for males.

Statistical analysis reveals that the proportion of females is consistently higher than males across all age groups. The distribution within each gender shows one age cohort is significantly larger than the others, accounting for up to 20.8% of all females and 16.6% of all males, likely corresponding to the adult working-age population (18-59 years). Conversely, the smallest cohort, representing the elderly (60+), accounts for only 4.7% of females and 3.8% of males.

This demographic structure indicates a high dependency ratio and underscores the need for targeted humanitarian assistance. Programming should prioritize child protection, education for the young, and livelihood opportunities for adults, while also addressing the specific protection needs of a majority-female population, including maternal health and prevention of gender-based violence.

Trends Over Time

AI Insight: Column chart of population types in Haiti by year, where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) constitute the vast majority of the population of concern and their numbers have increased dramatically., This column chart displays the number of people (in thousands) for six different population types in Haiti over a multi-year period. The population types include Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Refugees and people in refugee-like situations, Asylum-seekers, Others of concern, Stateless persons, and Host Community.

The most significant insight from the data is the disproportionately large number of Internally Displaced Persons compared to all other categories. The statistical profile shows a maximum value of 1,037,463 for a single group, which is attributable to the IDP population. This contrasts sharply with the rest of the data, where 75% of the recorded values are 5,000 people or fewer. This indicates that other populations of concern, such as refugees and asylum-seekers, are present in much smaller numbers.

Over the period shown, the IDP population demonstrates a significant increasing trend, reflecting the escalating humanitarian crisis in Haiti driven by violence, political instability, and socio-economic challenges. The data for ‘returned_refugees’ and ‘returned_idps’ are consistently zero across all years, indicating no recorded returns for these groups within the timeframe of this dataset.

AI Insight: Bar chart of the change in population groups in Haiti between 2023 and 2024, where the number of Internally Displaced People increased dramatically by over 723,000, while the asylum-seeker population decreased to zero., This vertical bar chart, titled ‘Haiti: Increases and Decreases in Population Groups | 2023-2024’, illustrates the absolute and percentage changes in various populations of concern between 2023 and 2024. A horizontal line at zero distinguishes between population increases (bars pointing up) and decreases (bars pointing down).

The most significant change is a dramatic increase in Internally Displaced People (IDPs), which grew by 723,562 people, from 313,901 in 2023 to 1,037,463 in 2024. This represents a 231% increase and indicates a severe deterioration of the humanitarian situation within Haiti.

Conversely, the chart shows a decrease in other groups. The number of Asylum-seekers dropped by 2,992 individuals, a 100% decrease from 2,992 in 2023 to zero in 2024. The refugee population also saw a small decrease.

This data highlights the escalating internal crisis in Haiti, forcing a massive number of people to flee their homes while potentially facing greater difficulties in seeking asylum abroad. The figures are critical for understanding the scale of the displacement crisis and for planning humanitarian response.

AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Haiti in 2024, where the provided data sample shows 5 refugees from Cuba., This horizontal bar chart displays the population of refugees in Haiti as of 2024, categorized by their top nine countries of origin. The vertical axis lists the countries, while the horizontal axis represents the total number of individuals. The length of each bar corresponds to the refugee population from that specific country. The provided statistical summary is incomplete, showing data for only one country. According to this data, there are 5 refugees from Cuba residing in Haiti. Data for the other eight countries in the ‘Top 9’ is not available in this summary, preventing a full comparative analysis or ranking. It is important to note that Haiti is primarily a country of origin for refugees and asylum-seekers, and its capacity to host refugee populations is limited, which is reflected in the low numbers.

Geography & Movements

Geography & Movements: The Haitian Displacement Crisis

The escalating humanitarian crisis in Haiti has become a primary driver of new and significant forced displacement in the Americas. The data reveals a dramatic and exponential rise in the number of forcibly displaced Haitians since 2019, a trajectory projected to continue its severe upward trend into 2025, significantly outpacing other displacement movements within the dataset for the region. Behind these stark numbers lies a narrative of individuals and families fleeing pervasive gang violence, profound political instability, and socioeconomic collapse.

The geography of this displacement is highly concentrated, placing an immense and disproportionate strain on a small number of host countries. Analysis of destination data shows a starkly uneven distribution; while one country in the Americas hosts over 2.6 million Haitians, the vast majority of the 49 countries receiving them shelter far fewer. The median number of Haitians hosted per country is a mere 20 individuals, highlighting the immense pressure on the principal host nation. This pattern of movement is largely dictated by geographic proximity, established diaspora networks, and the availability of specific protection pathways.

In a clear reflection of the country’s internal turmoil and limited capacity, Haiti itself is not a significant destination for refugees. As of 2024, only five refugees, all originating from Cuba, were recorded in the country. This near-total absence of an inbound refugee population, contrasted with the massive and accelerating outflow of its own citizens, paints a grim picture of the conditions on the ground. The combination of these trends underscores the urgent need for greater international solidarity and responsibility-sharing to support both the displaced population from Haiti and the host communities that have generously welcomed them.

AI Insight: World map of destination countries for people of concern from Haiti, where the population is overwhelmingly concentrated in a few countries in the Americas., This choropleth map displays the global distribution of refugees, asylum-seekers, and other people of concern originating from Haiti as of 2024. The data, which covers 49 destination countries, reveals an extremely skewed distribution.

Statistical analysis shows a significant concentration of the population in a small number of host countries. One country hosts a maximum of 1,037,463 individuals. In contrast, the median number of people hosted per country is just 20, and 75% of the countries host 112 or fewer individuals. This disparity is further highlighted by the large standard deviation (150,000) and the mean (30,000), which are heavily influenced by the outliers.

This distribution pattern is a result of Haitians fleeing widespread gang violence, political instability, and socioeconomic collapse. The concentration in the Americas is driven by geographic proximity, established diaspora communities, and available protection pathways.

Origin of Displaced Populations

AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart showing the number of refugees in Haiti by country of origin for 2024, where the only country shown is Cuba with a total of 5 people., This horizontal bar chart, titled ‘Haiti: Refugees | 2024’, details the number of refugees in Haiti by their country of origin. The y-axis represents the country of origin, and the x-axis measures the ‘Number of People’. The chart displays a single bar for Cuba, indicating that there are 5 refugees from Cuba residing in Haiti as of 2024. Although the subtitle mentions ‘Top 9 Countries of Origin’, the provided data only contains this single data point. This may indicate a very small refugee population in Haiti or an incomplete dataset for the specified period.

AI Insight: Alluvial diagram of forcibly displaced population by origin from 2019 to 2025, where the number of people displaced from Haiti shows a dramatic and projected increase, significantly surpassing those from other origins., This alluvial diagram illustrates the change in the number of forcibly displaced people by their country of origin over a seven-year period, from 2019 to 2025. The data is presented in two streams: one for individuals originating from Haiti and another for those from all ‘Other’ origins combined.

Key Observations: - The most significant trend is the massive growth in the displaced population originating from Haiti. This stream starts relatively small but widens dramatically in the later years of the period, indicating an exponential increase in displacement. - In contrast, the stream representing ‘Other’ origins remains relatively small and stable throughout the entire period, serving as a baseline that highlights the exceptional scale of the Haitian crisis. - The data, which extends to 2025, includes projections that anticipate a continuation of this severe upward trend in Haitian displacement.

Statistical Context: The dataset covers 8 observations across the years 2019-2025. The number of displaced people ranges from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 1,280,841. The high maximum value and a mean of 329,029 reflect the substantial increase driven by the Haitian outflow in the latter part of the timeline. This visualization powerfully communicates a rapidly escalating humanitarian situation, underscoring the severe and deteriorating conditions within Haiti that are compelling a growing number of its citizens to seek refuge elsewhere.

Destination

AI Insight: Bar chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from Haiti as of 2024, where the top destination hosts a vastly disproportionate number of people compared to the other nine., This vertical bar chart illustrates the top 10 countries hosting forcibly displaced populations from Haiti as of 2024. The data shows a highly skewed distribution, with one country serving as the primary destination. The number of displaced people in these countries ranges from a minimum of 7,066 to a maximum of 2,632,205. The median value is 203,664, indicating that half of these top 10 countries host fewer than that number. However, the average is significantly higher at 547,638, pulled up by the top country, which hosts over 2.6 million people. This concentration highlights the immense and disproportionate role a single country plays in providing asylum for this population, which has major implications for resource allocation and support systems in that specific destination.

Asylum System

The State of National Asylum Systems

The escalating violence and instability in Haiti in late 2023 and early 2024 have placed immense pressure on asylum systems, both within the country and across the region. The data reveals a dual crisis: inconsistent protection outcomes for Haitians seeking safety abroad, and a severely strained domestic system struggling to process claims from those seeking refuge in Haiti.

For Haitian nationals compelled to seek international protection, the likelihood of being granted asylum varies dramatically depending on the country in which they apply. Analysis of the ten countries processing the most claims from Haitians in 2024 shows a significant disparity in refugee recognition rates, ranging from a high of 43 per cent to nearly zero. The average recognition rate across these countries stood at just 12.9 per cent, underscoring a lack of uniformity in the application of protection standards and leaving many Haitians in precarious legal situations. This “protection lottery” highlights the urgent need for a more consistent and harmonized approach to assessing the well-founded fears of those fleeing the country.

Meanwhile, Haiti’s own national asylum system faces overwhelming challenges. A cumulative analysis from 2020 to 2024 shows a widening gap between the number of new asylum applications lodged in the country and the number of decisions rendered. This growing backlog translates into prolonged uncertainty for individuals and families seeking refuge in Haiti, with average processing times steadily increasing.

Despite these systemic strains, the data also reveals a critical nuance. For the limited number of cases that were decided within Haiti in 2024, recognition rates for asylum-seekers from other countries were notably high, ranging from 50 to 100 per cent for the top nationalities. This indicates that while the system’s capacity is stretched to its limit, the claims being processed are often well-founded. Behind these stark numbers lies a story of overburdened systems and the pressing need for international solidarity to ensure that all those forced to flee can access the protection they need and deserve.

AI Insight: Bar chart of asylum applications and decisions for Haitian nationals in 2023, where the number of applications and decisions was five each, but the number of positive decisions was zero., This bar chart presents a summary of asylum statistics for individuals from Haiti for the year 2023. The data is broken down into three distinct stages of the asylum process. For 2023, the total number of new asylum applications was 5, and the total number of decisions made was also 5. Critically, the number of positive decisions (e.g., granting of refugee status) was 0. This indicates a 0% recognition rate for the cases decided within this specific dataset. It is important to note that while the title references a 2019-2024 timeframe, the provided data is exclusively for 2023. Additionally, as noted in the subtitle, these figures represent the number of applications, not necessarily the number of unique individuals, as one person may file more than one application.

AI Insight: Sankey diagram of Refugee Status Determination decisions for individuals from Haiti in 2024, showing how 66 initial decisions flow into various final outcomes., This parallel sets plot, visualized as a Sankey diagram, illustrates the outcomes of 66 Refugee Status Determination (RSD) decisions for asylum-seekers from Haiti recorded in 2024. The diagram shows the flow of individual cases through the different stages and results of the protection process.

The width of the bands is proportional to the number of people in each pathway. The chart begins with the total number of decisions (66) and branches out to show the breakdown at each stage. Key outcomes typically visualized include the number of individuals granted Refugee Status, those given Complementary Protection, and those whose applications were rejected or otherwise closed. This visualization allows for a clear understanding of the recognition rates and the overall protection landscape for Haitian asylum-seekers within the reporting period.

AI Insight: Area chart of cumulative asylum applications and decisions in Haiti from 2020 to 2024, where a growing gap between the two lines illustrates an increasing processing time and backlog., This area chart provides a comparative analysis of the cumulative number of asylum applications and first instance decisions in Haiti for the period 2020 to 2024. The y-axis represents the cumulative total, while the x-axis implicitly represents the years.

The chart displays two overlapping areas: a larger one for ‘Applications’ and a smaller one for ‘Decisions’. Throughout the entire period, the cumulative number of applications consistently exceeds the number of decisions rendered. The space between these two lines visually represents the pending caseload, or backlog, of applications.

The key insight is the widening of this gap over time, indicating that new applications are being registered at a faster rate than decisions are being issued. This trend signifies a growing backlog and, as highlighted by annotations on the chart, a corresponding increase in the average processing time, measured in days. For UNHCR, this visualization is a critical indicator of strain on the national asylum system, pointing to potential resource or capacity challenges that result in prolonged waiting periods for individuals seeking international protection.

Recognition Rates

AI Insight: Bar chart of refugee recognition rates in Haiti for 2024 by country of origin, where rates for the top nationalities by decision volume are high, ranging from 50% to 100%., This vertical bar chart displays the refugee recognition rates in Haiti for 2024, focusing on the top countries of origin determined by the total number of asylum decisions. Each bar represents a country of origin, with its height corresponding to the percentage of positive asylum decisions (recognized cases) out of the total decisions made for that nationality.

Based on the statistical profile for the three countries presented, the average recognition rate is 83.3%. The rates vary significantly, with a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 100%. The median rate is 100%, suggesting that at least half of the nationalities shown have very high acceptance rates. The data reveals that while the number of recognized cases is constant at 5 for each country, the total number of decisions varies from 5 to 10. Consequently, the variation in recognition rates is entirely attributable to the differing number of negative outcomes. The analysis also shows that no individuals were granted complementary protection, meaning the Total Recognition Rate is identical to the Refugee Recognition Rate.

AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of Refugee Recognition Rates for nationals from Haiti in 2024, where rates in the top 10 countries of asylum by decision volume vary widely from nearly 0% to a high of 43%., This horizontal bar chart presents the Refugee Recognition Rate for asylum seekers from Haiti in 2024. The data covers the 10 countries of asylum with the highest number of total decisions made during the period. The chart is ordered by the total volume of decisions, not the recognition rate itself.

The analysis of the underlying data reveals a significant disparity in outcomes. The Refugee Recognition Rate across these ten countries ranges from a maximum of 42.9% to a minimum of just 0.02%. The average recognition rate is 12.9%, with a high standard deviation of 13.6%, underscoring the wide variation in protection outcomes for Haitian nationals.

The volume of decisions processed by these countries also varies dramatically, from 417 to 148,165. This context is crucial, as a country with a high recognition rate may have processed a relatively small number of cases, and vice versa. The data also includes a ‘Total Recognition Rate’ (which includes complementary forms of protection), with a slightly higher average of 15.0%, indicating that some applicants receive other forms of protection if not granted full refugee status.

Solutions

Durable Solutions: An Increasingly Elusive Goal

The ultimate objective of international protection is to help forcibly displaced and stateless people find a durable solution, allowing them to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. However, the data reveals a widening chasm between the growing number of people in need of such solutions and the availability of viable pathways. While millions remain in protracted displacement, the avenues of voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement are under immense strain, accessible to only a fraction of those who need them.

Behind these stark numbers, the reality for specific populations is even more concerning. An examination of pathways to safety reveals significant challenges that can amount to a critical protection gap. For those fleeing the multifaceted crisis in Haiti, for instance, the pursuit of a durable solution has become almost statistically invisible. Analysis of available data for the 2022-2023 period indicates a complete absence of recorded refugee status recognitions. Compounding this, no data was tracked for any form of durable solution—be it resettlement, voluntary return, or formal local integration—for Haitians during this time.

This data void does not signal an absence of need; rather, it highlights a system where individuals fleeing profound instability and violence are unable to access the formal protection and long-term solutions they are entitled to under international law. In such contexts, the prospect of a lasting solution is so remote that it is reduced to a single point of hope in a vast landscape of uncertainty. Without renewed commitment from the international community to expand access to asylum, increase resettlement quotas, and support host countries in facilitating local integration, millions will remain in limbo, their futures unresolved and their potential unrealized. The imperative to bridge this gap between displacement and solutions has never been more urgent.

AI Insight: A data point visualization of unlabeled x and y coordinates, where a single text element is positioned at the coordinate (1, 1)., This visualization consists of a single text element plotted on a two-dimensional plane. The plot lacks a title, subtitle, and labels for the x and y axes, preventing any contextual interpretation. The underlying data comprises a single observation with two numeric variables, ‘x’ and ‘y’. The statistical profile confirms that this single data point has a value of 1 for both its x and y coordinates. Consequently, all statistical measures for both variables, including the mean, median (p50), and all other percentiles, are equal to 1. Standard deviation is not applicable as there is only one data point. The visualization’s primary function is to place a text element at the specific location (1, 1), but without further context or the content of the text, no meaningful analysis or insight can be derived.

AI Insight: A line chart of refugee recognitions versus available solutions for Haiti (2022-2023), where data shows zero recognitions and no data for solutions., This chart is designed to compare the number of refugee statuses granted to individuals from Haiti against the number of available durable solutions for the years 2022 and 2023.

Based on the statistical profile, the data for ‘Refugee Recognitions’ is zero for both 2022 and 2023. This indicates that, according to the dataset, no asylum claims from Haitians resulted in refugee status recognition during this period.

Furthermore, the data for ‘Solutions’—which typically includes resettlement, voluntary repatriation, and local integration—is entirely missing for both years. This significant data gap makes a direct comparison impossible.

The visualization effectively highlights a critical protection gap: a complete absence of both recorded refugee recognitions and tracked durable solutions for Haitians in the specified timeframe.