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Haiti: Poor spring crop harvest, rising prices, Hurricane Isaac heighten food insecurity

Countries
Haiti
Sources
FEWS NET
Publication date
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Poor spring crop harvest, rising prices, and passage of Hurricane Isaac heighten food insecurity

  • Tropical Storm Isaac struck Nippes and the Western and Southeastern Departments, damaging farm infrastructure and destroying crops. In areas where drought conditions caused spring crops to fail, food insecurity has increased.

  • Forecasts by major weather centers predict normal seasonal rainfall between August and November, which should allow for an average winter harvest.

  • As typical for this time of the year, seasonal jobs are available for farm workers, particularly in the Les Cayes Plain and the Artibonite Valley areas where the country’s largest irrigation schemes are located.

  • Food prices in many parts of the country are stable, but are trending upwards in certain large markets like Croix-des-Bossales and Les Cayes. The combined effects of this trend and poor crop performance will trigger a deterioration in the food security situation of poor households in areas such as the Northwest, the Southeast, Gonave, and urban pockets of Port-au-Prince, who are in IPC Phase 2 (stressed).