Arcahaie Residents Challenge IOM’s Displacement Estimates Amid Crisis

The escalating violence in Arcahaie, a town known as the birthplace of Haiti’s national flag, has forced thousands from their homes, yet a fierce dispute has arisen over the actual scale of displacement.

While the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently reported several thousand displaced, residents and local authorities contest this number, arguing it fails to reflect the depth of the crisis.

Some locals claim that the real figure nears 40,000 people, as violence pushes families into surrounding towns and cities.”This crisis is far worse than what the reports are showing,” said a resident who fled with his family to La Gonâve, a neighboring island offering relative safety.

“We were forced to leave everything behind, and now we’re barely getting by in overcrowded shelters.

”Arcahaie’s displacement has impacted neighboring areas as well, as people seek safety in towns like Saint-Marc and Léogâne, and local resources are stretched thin.

In makeshift shelters, people face precarious living conditions with limited access to food, water, and healthcare. Humanitarian needs are mounting, but resources have yet to keep pace.