UNITED NATIONS (CMC)—The United Nations (UN) Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reporting an “alarming” surge in gender-based violence in the first three months of this year.

The UN Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said humanitarian partners have recorded almost 2,000 incidents of gender-based violence, or about 21 cases per day.

Haq said that more than 70 per cent of the gender-based violence cases involved rape, “a dramatic increase from the previous quarter, when 49 per cent of incidents were rapes.”

He said most of these cases were gang rapes, reportedly perpetrated primarily by armed groups and that “most survivors are women and girls”, following a sharp rise in gender-based violence last year, when partners recorded just over 8,000 incidents, and that was a 25 per cent increase compared to 2024.”

Despite the growing crisis, support services remain severely underfunded, Haq highlighted, adding that so far this year, only US$1.2 million of the US$15 million required has been received – that is just 8 per cent.

“This is severely limiting survivors’ access to emergency medical care within the critical 72-hour window after an assault. It also limits psychosocial support and temporary emergency shelter.”

The deputy spokesperson also noted that UN partners on the ground report that with the resources available, some survivors have been able to access medical, psychosocial, and protection services such as safe spaces for women and girls.

However, “needs continue to far exceed current capacity,” Haq emphasised.

The UN and its humanitarian partners in Haiti stressed the “urgent” need to scale up funding for health, protection services and psychosocial support, particularly in the areas most affected by violence.

Overall, Haiti faces a severe humanitarian crisis with Haq indicating that an estimated 1.45 million people are internally displaced and close to six million people – half of Haiti’s population- are acutely food insecure.

Haq said OCHA has since called for “additional funding to strengthen services for survivors, as well as protection efforts in areas most affected by violence.”