PORT-AU-PRINCE — More than 5.83 million Haitians are expected to face acute levels of hunger from March to June, according to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report released in Port-au-Prince. The figure represents more than half of Haiti's population and is down from a previous projection of 5.91 million.

Nearly 1.9 million people are expected to face emergency levels of hunger during the period, down from a projected 2 million. The report credited a drop in inflation from 32% to 22%, generally favorable winter weather for crops, and improved road access in some areas for the slight improvements in hunger projections. It said the limited improvements have not reversed the overall trend of acute food insecurity in the country.

The report blamed armed groups for the hunger crisis. "Violence continues to suffocate the Haitian economy and limit the transportation of goods and the movement of people, with many of the most vulnerable people forced to join armed actors in order to feed their families," the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said.

The bulk of people experiencing emergency levels of hunger live in the northwest region, including the Artibonite department, where gangs have attacked communities in recent years, razing communities and destroying farmland. People facing emergency levels of hunger also live in impoverished neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.4 million people across Haiti, and the report found that 70% of people living in displacement sites are experiencing high levels of food insecurity.

The report also said the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have caused a major disruption to the global food system, with direct implications for Haiti's food security. In early April, Haiti's government raised the price per gallon of kerosene by 40%, diesel by 37%, and gasoline by 29%. The report noted that high fuel prices would impact transportation and lead to an increase in food prices.

Haiti's agriculture minister, Marcelin Aubourg, said he wants to strengthen the national response through an upcoming plan supported by the World Bank to deal with food crises. Aubourg said agriculture is a key solution to improving the situation and that the government should support local producers.

"Fighting hunger is essential to restoring stability in Haiti. We cannot build peace if families cannot feed their children," said Wanja Kaaria, World Food Program country director and representative in Haiti.