UN agencies decry humanitarian crisis in Haiti and seek help for hungry families fleeing violence

By PIERRE-RICHARD LUXAMA
Associated Press

JEREMIE, Haiti (AP) — The executive directors of two U.N. agencies are warning that Haiti’s humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels amid reports of widespread hunger and gang violence. Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program, said that per capita, the number of Haitians facing emergency-level food insecurity is the second highest in the world. Nearly 5 million people in the country of 11 million struggle to eat every day. She also noted that more than 115,000 children younger than 5 are expected to struggle with malnutrition this year. That would be a 30% surge compared with last year.