IOM: Haiti Displacement Crisis Hits 1.5 Million; 18,000+ Newly Displaced from Cité Soleil Violence in May; Port-au-Prince IDPs Exceed 300,000

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN News confirmed on June 5–6, 2026 that Haiti's displacement crisis has reached a record 1.5 million internally displaced persons — with over half being women and girls. Port-au-Prince's IDP population exceeded 300,000 for the first time, driven by the May 10–14, 2026 intra-Viv Ansanm gang clashes in Cité Soleil and the Cul-de-Sac Plain. More than 18,000 people were displaced from Cité Soleil alone in May. IOM Chief of Mission Gregoire Goodstein stated: 'Haiti's displacement crisis is entering an even more alarming phase. The crisis is no longer confined to specific neighborhoods or regions — as violence spreads into areas once considered safe, more people are forced to flee repeatedly with nowhere left to turn.' The UN noted that one displaced woman's family 'waded through the sea up to their necks, then crawled through farm fields covered in mud and waste' to escape gang detection. The Sud-Est Department — previously considered a refuge — experienced new attacks displacing 5,000 people, demonstrating the 'balloon effect' of GSF/HNP pressure pushing gang factions into previously stable areas. Since early 2026, more than 110,000 Haitians have been forcibly returned from abroad — including unaccompanied children and pregnant women — arriving to an already destabilized country. OCHA warns that the onset of hurricane season poses additional catastrophic risk to the 1.5 million people living in temporary shelters.