UNITED NATIONS, (CMC) – The United Nations is warning of “alarming levels of gender-based violence” in Haiti, noting also that those at risk have very limited access to the essential support they need.

United Nations, spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said that the global body had received “a horrendous report “ from its humanitarian colleagues regarding Haiti, warning that as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country continues the situation “is due to insecurity, access challenges and funding shortfalls”.

Dujarric said between January and September this year, over 7,400 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Haiti, an average of about 27 per day.

“Sexual violence made up just over half of the cases, about 3,700, and with nearly two thirds of these involving gang rape, that’s about 2,500. Two out of every three victims were displaced people.

“During the same period, our humanitarian partners were able to reach only seven per cent of the 833,000 people we aim to reach with specialized support to address gender-based violence, in total, our partners were able to reach just about 54,000 people,” Dujarric said, adding that the response remains critically underfunded, with an overall gap of US$13.5 million, 70 per cent of the over the money that is needed for this year.

The UN spokesman said that if that funding is not received, nearly 780,000 women and girls, including survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk, “will go without these critical services, including the clinical management of rape, mental health and psychosocial support, case management, legal assistance, safe spaces for women and girls, and dignity kits.

“Our partners also warn that persistent insecurity and access challenges continue to prevent many survivors – including people with disabilities and women living in remote areas – from receiving timely, confidential and adequate support.”

Dujarric said despite all of these constraints, humanitarian organizations continue to scale up life-saving services, including psychosocial support, medical care, safe spaces for victims, mobile clinics, legal assistance and the distribution of dignity kits.

He said between January and September, more than 32,000 information and awareness-raising sessions have been conducted, and some 560 front-line workers have received specialized training.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to work closely with our partners addressing gender-based violence in Haiti, as well as with national authorities in the country , all this to ensure that survivors can safely access essential services.