HAFFD Urges Swift Action to Address Crisis in Haiti

Press Release

November 19, 2025 - The Haitian-American Foundation for Democracy (HAFFD) issues an urgent appeal for decisive action to address Haiti’s worsening crisis, calling on Haiti, the international community, and the Haitian Diaspora to work together for sustainable change.

“Haiti faces a major crisis, decades in the making,” said HAFFD Board Member Michelle Austin Pamies. “We see catastrophic human rights abuses, widespread inequality, and a collapsing economy. In 2024, Haiti’s economy shrank by over 4%, and projections show further decline in 2025. Today, 37.6% of our people survive on less than $2.15 a day. This is the result of systemic failure that demands immediate attention from all stakeholders.” Ms. Austin Pamies adds: “Were it not for the Diaspora’s remittances, which average about $4 billion in each of the last four years, the equivalent of 20% of Haiti’s GDP, Haiti would have long suffered total collapse.”

The situation took a turn for the worse when criminal gangs in and around Haiti’s capital gained ground through indiscriminate killings, looting, rapes, kidnappings, and forcible displacement. It is further compounded by the deportation policies adopted by the Dominican Republic and the United States, which threaten to force nearly one million Haitian immigrants back to an environment already overwhelmed by instability and economic hardship. These policies risk deepening the humanitarian emergency and adding yet another layer of urgency to coordinated action.

HAFFD takes issue with the ongoing reliance on rushed political processes toward so-called free and fair elections, which have repeatedly resulted in opportunities for vote manipulation, corruption, and the thwarting of the electorate’s will. Such superficial solutions have only deepened instability and fostered environments ripe for exploitation.

"For decades, the crisis in Haiti has been treated with a failed, externally managed formula that has only deepened the suffering of our people. The political class has faltered, but the Haitian Diaspora remains our steadfast economic lifeline, pouring billions into the country year after year. We must stop paying lip service to their commitment. It is time for real change; the Diaspora has earned its place at the decision-making table and must be proportionally represented in any new national strategy. Only by truly empowering all Haitians, at home and abroad, can we finally break the cycle of instability."

HAFFD urges Haitian leaders, the global community, and the Diaspora to unite in confronting the structural issues afflicting Haiti and to commit to policies that foster long-term democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity.

For more information or to support HAFFD’s mission, contact info@haffd.org or visit www.haffd.org.