Climate, Peace and Security in Haiti

In a new fact sheet from the joint NUPI and SIPRI Climate-related Peace and Security Risks Project (CPSR), the team explore the nexus between climate change, peace and security in Haiti.

Published: June 27, 2025 Ingvild Brox Brodtkorb

People

Minoo Koefoed

Former employee

Kheira Tarif

Researcher, SIPRI

Thor Olav Iversen

Senior Researcher

Katongo Seyuba

Researcher, SIPRI

Nadine Andersen

Research Assistant, SIPRI

Ingvild Brox Brodtkorb

Research Fellow

Cedric H. de Coning

Research Professor

Florian Krampe

Senior Researcher, SIPRI

Located on the Atlantic hurricane belt, Haiti is susceptible to earthquakes and is particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change due to its geographical location as well as political instability, extreme poverty and gang violence. Rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and frequent natural disasters and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, landslides and earthquakes, exacerbate the country’s humanitarian crisis. Flooding during El Niño years worsens existing food insecurity and drives displacement, increasing population pressure on host communities and fuelling social tensions.

Read the fact sheet here.

Deteriorating economic conditions in Haiti have eroded people’s coping capacities and increased vulnerability to climate change.
Internal displacement has increased dramatically due to extreme gang violence. Furthermore, natural hazards such as flooding have led to secondary displacement in several locations.
Instability, among other factors, hinders efforts to reduce climate change vulnerabilities and build preparedness and resilience in Haiti.
There is an urgent need for the Haitian political leadership to strengthen the country’s resilience to climate shocks.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 and a devastating earthquake a month later, the level of gang violence in Haiti has increased dramatically. In response to an appeal from then-acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the United Nations Security Council approved a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti in October 2023. Led by Kenya, the MSS aims to support the Haitian National Police in re-establishing security against the wave of gang violence. However, it remains understaffed, underfunded and structurally limited in fulfilling its mandate. Haiti has urged the Security Council to transform the MSS into a UN peacekeeping operation. In March 2024, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), consisting of political groups, the private sector and civil society observers, was established under the aegis of the Caribbean Community to facilitate elections and the political transition in Haiti.