Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on June 15th, 2026

[Tiziano Breda]

There are certainly similarities in the root causes—marginalization, great economic inequality and land concentrated in the hands of a few.

Compared to Colombia, I would say that while criminal gangs were created initially to accompany essentially political forces and actors, more alongside what happened with the paramilitary forces in Colombia, we have not seen the development of ideological claims behind these groups. There's been, I think, an attempt by Jimmy Cherizier over recent years to somehow portray the gangs as the defenders of marginalized and poor communities, but essentially, we're talking about actors who are very much criminal in nature.

[Technical difficulty—Editor] happened with the FARC in 2016, the conflict could be solved through negotiations, and a similar solution is unlikely to be [Technical difficulty—Editor].

[The Chair, Liberal, Fayçal El-Khoury]

Thank you. I'm sorry about the technical difficulties.

Now I would like to invite Mr. Zuberi to take the floor for five minutes.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll be sharing my time with my colleague Brendan Hanley.

My first questions will be for Ms. Narayan from the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF.

Thank you to all the witnesses for being with us for this very important study on Haiti.

I wanted to start off with the $880-million call made by the UN to provide humanitarian assistance within Haiti. As of just a month ago, it's been reported that it's only been 22.1% funded by the Office of the UN High Commissioner, if I am correct.

With the calls that have been made by UN bodies and by the UN for funding, and with the lack of funding that has come into the country to address the security, political and humanitarian situations, what have you seen? Have you seen that the three situations you outlined have grown in scope, complexity and breadth during your work in Haiti since 2024?

[Geeta Narayan]

My short answer is yes. The situation in Haiti has deteriorated since I arrived two years ago, on every level. That's independent of the funding situation, because the funding situation for the UN humanitarian agencies pertains to our ability to respond to the crisis. The crisis is there whether we can respond or not. The two things don't necessarily need to be linked.

The situation has deteriorated. As I mentioned, 90% of the capital is now under the control of armed groups, which means that all of us are living and working in this 10%, and then obviously going into the rest of the capital on specific missions in order to deliver humanitarian assistance.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

With respect to working under these conditions, with the increased gang presence in Port-au-Prince—at 90%, as you said—how have you found, as a UN employee, working in these conditions, with the lack of security and the situation you find yourself in?

[Geeta Narayan]

It's been incredibly difficult, to be honest with you, on a personal level and on a professional level.

When I visit IDP sites in schools, there is insecurity in the site and around the site. To get to the site, we have to travel in security convoys and have to travel in armoured vehicles. We have a security curfew. Every day we have to check to see whether or not we can we go. It changes day to day depending on the movements of the armed groups. Sometimes we set out and have to turn back. It's an extremely volatile and shifting landscape.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

I will give the little more than two minutes I have left to my colleague.

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this very important meeting.

I'd like to turn to my constituent, Morgan Weinberg. You didn't get a chance to tell your story, nor will there be time.

Little Footprints Big Steps works directly in reuniting children from abusive orphanage situations. It's incredible work that you do. I wonder if you can tell us more—in 40 seconds or so—about the importance of this work and orphanage migration.

[Morgan Wienberg]

To really highlight the orphanage issue, I'll note that over 80% of children living in orphanages have living families, and the majority of orphanages in Haiti—over 700 orphanages—are operating illegally.

The current situation in Haiti has increased the risk, first of all, of children becoming separated from their families and being placed in orphanages because of the level of vulnerability of families.

Second of all, there is an increased risk of child trafficking occurring through orphanages. In particular, orphanages located in and around Port-au-Prince are relocating due to violence. However, an already fragile situation of orphanages not being closely monitored is essentially increasing the risk of child trafficking when orphanages relocate. That also increases the risk of those children becoming further disconnected from their biological families.

There is currently a need to increase focus on family reunification and the monitoring of orphanages, while also encouraging funds to be funnelled into the country such that they truly go through child protection authorities and partners supporting families and communities, as opposed to institutions.

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

I don't know if time allows, Mr. Chair, but you mentioned—

[The Chair, Liberal, Fayçal El-Khoury]

You have a few seconds.

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

I have a few seconds.

You mentioned rural food production. I wonder if you would be able to submit to the committee your recommendations on how Canada can help support regional and rural agricultural production, because this is such an important element where Canada can play a role.

[The Chair, Liberal, Fayçal El-Khoury]

You have 10 to 15 seconds maximum to answer.

[Morgan Wienberg]

I believe there is an opportunity within the crisis to truly build the agricultural industry in Haiti, for which there is extreme potential.

With the number of internally displaced families relocated to rural regions of Haiti, it's the perfect opportunity to help provide the supplies and materials for those individuals to invest in crops in the area. There's also the opportunity to address famine through food production, because rural areas are blocked off from the main routes through which food was typically transported.

[The Chair, Liberal, Fayçal El-Khoury]

Thank you.

I invite Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe to take the floor for five minutes, please.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for participating in this very important study.

Ms. Narayan and Ms. Davidson, could you give us an overview of the current state of child malnutrition and the health crisis in Haiti? I imagine you have some data to share with us.

[Geeta Narayan]

I have some data on the status of malnutrition in Haiti. It's not good, as you would expect. Of the numbers we have, 294,000 children are at risk of acute malnutrition this year, and that includes 130 children under five with severe, acute malnutrition.

We estimate that one in five children under five suffers from stunting, which means that they're too short for their age. About 5% of children under five were acutely malnourished in 2022. That's the most recent year for that data.

As to water, 3.5 million people need wash services and water and sanitation services, and 71% of Haitians do not have access to basic sanitation as of 2024. The last one I'll share with you is that approximately 18% of Haitians still practise open defecation as of 2023. It's a very dire situation.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you for sharing that data with us.

When Canada provides funding for humanitarian assistance, it often goes through major organizations, such as UNICEF or the World Food Programme. How can we make sure this money gets directly to those who need it on the ground? Several people are wondering about that.

Several small organizations as well as church organizations, I would say, sometimes organize fundraising campaigns, but when we give to UNICEF or the World Food Programme, can we be sure this money is getting to those who need it on the ground?

How does it get there?

Is there some accountability?

[Geeta Narayan]

UNICEF and organizations like the World Food Programme have in place a number of systems, including monitoring systems on the ground. When we are entrusted with Canadian funding—and I use that word intentionally, because we feel a sense of trust that you have put in us—we are supporting government institutions and local non-governmental organizations, and we are doing direct implementation as UNICEF. This means we can ensure that quality standards are respected, for example, when it comes to water and sanitation. It also ensures that we can continue the follow-up monitoring.

We go to communities. I have visited water points that we are constructing in rural parts of Haiti. I have seen them myself on these visits, along with my team. We have engineers on staff who look at the technical aspects, for example.

We are actively following up on how the funds that are given to us are implemented around the country.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Given all the security challenges, it becomes a major problem to ensure this money leads to concrete results on the ground.

There are also UNICEF workers. It's not easy to ensure their safety either.

Despite the security issues, what can we do to ensure this money leads to concrete results on the ground?

[Geeta Narayan]

In places we are not able to go and cannot access as UN staff because of insecurity, we use third party monitors. We hire local companies or organizations—Haitians by and large—that are able to access communities if we ourselves are not able to go. We're also very opportunistic. Sometimes we're able to access a particular commune or district tomorrow but not today. If we're able to go, we go.

I have two offices in the field, in the north and the south, in addition to the main office in Port-au-Prince. Those sub-offices are the ones doing the monitoring in their respective districts. It's a combination of going when we can and, when we cannot, using the third party monitors we have hired. We've trained them so they know what to look for from a technical perspective.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Cuts to international aid are pretty much a global trend. Of course, everyone's talking about the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID. However, several European countries, such as Germany, have also reduced their funding. Japan has also made drastic cuts.

Canada cut $2.5 billion of international development funding in the last budget.

How much does that affect your organization? How does that affect your partners?

You talked about the organizations you work with, small non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, on the ground that often get very concrete results because they're very close to local organizations. They understand the country they're working in. They're on site.

To what extent does that affect the targeted results?

How much does that affect them, in Haiti more specifically?

[The Chair, Liberal, Fayçal El-Khoury]

I would ask you to give a very brief answer. We're already 40 seconds over time.

[Geeta Narayan]

I think we have to be honest: It is reducing our ability to respond. I don't believe we can do more with less. That's fooling ourselves. We have to be honest and say that with less money, we can deliver less. We have to be realistic. That is the reality. We're reaching fewer children and doing less.

[The Chair, Liberal, Fayçal El-Khoury]

Thank you, Ms. Narayan.

Now I will invite Madame Vandenbeld to take the floor for five minutes, please.