The Haiti Crisis: What’s Happening and How to Help

The Haiti crisis is a catastrophic intersection of gang violence, political collapse, natural disasters, and economic failure that has left millions of Haitians in danger. Port-au-Prince, the capital, has been largely overtaken by armed gangs that control critical infrastructure, block humanitarian aid, and terrorize civilians. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and basic services — healthcare, education, clean water — have collapsed across much of the country.

What Is Happening in Haiti?

Haiti’s current crisis has been building for years, but it escalated sharply in 2024 when powerful gangs launched coordinated attacks across Port-au-Prince, storming police stations, prisons, and government buildings. The violence forced then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign and left a power vacuum that has yet to be meaningfully filled.

Key factors driving the crisis:

• Gang control — Armed groups now control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince. They extort businesses, kidnap civilians for ransom, and use sexual violence as a weapon of control.
• Political instability — Haiti has not held elections since 2016. President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021, and subsequent transitional governments have failed to restore order or legitimacy.
• Economic collapse — Inflation has made food unaffordable for most families. Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere before the current crisis.
• Displacement — More than 700,000 people are internally displaced, many living in makeshift shelters, schools, and public buildings.
• Cholera and healthcare collapse — Hospitals have been attacked or forced to close. A cholera outbreak has compounded the health emergency.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has classified Haiti as one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies. Nearly half the population — about 5.5 million people — faces acute food insecurity.

Haiti’s History of Crisis

The current emergency did not emerge from nowhere. Haiti’s vulnerability is rooted in decades of compounding crises:

• 2010 earthquake — A magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed an estimated 220,000 people, displaced 1.5 million, and destroyed much of Port-au-Prince’s infrastructure. Recovery was slow and incomplete.
• Hurricane Matthew (2016) — Devastated the southern peninsula, destroying homes, crops, and water systems.
• 2021 earthquake — A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the southwestern coast, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing 130,000.
• Political assassinations and coups — Haiti has experienced chronic political instability since its independence in 1804.

Each disaster layered on the last, eroding the country’s ability to recover. International aid has poured in over the decades, but systemic problems — corruption, weak institutions, and foreign interference — have prevented lasting improvement.

Haitian Refugees and Displacement

Haitians have been fleeing crisis for decades. Many sought refuge in the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Chile, Brazil, and the United States. The current wave of displacement has accelerated emigration dramatically.

In the U.S., Haitian nationals have arrived through several channels:

• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — Granted to Haitians already in the U.S. due to the unsafe conditions at home
• Humanitarian parole — The CHNV parole program has allowed some Haitians with U.S.-based sponsors to enter temporarily. Learn more about humanitarian parole.
• Asylum claims — Haitians arriving at the U.S. border may apply for asylum based on persecution by gangs or political violence. See our guide on refugee vs. asylum seeker.

Dallas has a growing Haitian community, and some families have been referred to Be Deliberate for furniture assistance after arriving with virtually nothing. The transition from crisis to stability requires more than legal status — it requires a safe, furnished place to live.

How to Help With the Haiti Crisis

The scale of the crisis can feel paralyzing, but there are concrete ways to make a difference:

• Support humanitarian organizations — Groups operating in Haiti need funding for food, medical care, and protection services. Donate to reputable organizations with established operations on the ground.
• Help Haitian families locally — If Haitian refugees or parolees have arrived in your city, they need the same basics as any newcomer: housing, furniture, employment connections, and community.
• Stay informed — The Haiti crisis receives inconsistent media coverage. Follow updates from OCHA, the IRC, and Haitian diaspora organizations.
• Advocate — Contact your elected representatives about maintaining TPS for Haitians, funding humanitarian operations, and supporting asylum protections.

Be Deliberate has completed 490+ furniture deliveries to refugee, asylee, and parolee families across Dallas-Fort Worth. Haitian families are among the newest arrivals who benefit from community-donated furniture — a bed, a table, a couch that says this is your home now.

For more ways to support newcomer families in the DFW area, read our guide on how to help refugees in Dallas.

How You Can Help

Haitian families arriving in Dallas have survived gang violence, political chaos, and displacement. Be Deliberate provides the furniture that makes their new apartments feel like home.

• Donate Furniture — Free pickup across Dallas-Fort Worth
• Volunteer — Help deliver and set up furniture for refugee families
• Give Financially — Fund warehouse operations and welcome home kits