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|a Haiti is a Caribbean country with a population of approximately 11 million people, 50.4 % of whom are female. Haiti's progress in economic and social development has been impeded by persistent political instability, surging violence, and record-high levels of insecurity, all of which amplify its fragility. In the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, Haiti remains the poorest country and one of the poorest in the world, with a GNI per capita of USD 1,420 in 2021, the lowest in the LAC region compared to the average of USD 15,092. The country ranked 163rd out of 191 nations on the UN's Human Development Index in 2021. In the midst of the ongoing political and institutional turmoil, compounded by exposure to natural hazards and gangs fighting for control of business areas, the economy has shrunk by 1.7% in 2019, 3.3% in 2020,1.8% in 2021, and 1.7% in 2022, declining for four years in a row. This has resulted in poverty reduction gains being erased, and the lack of progress in critical areas essential for poverty reduction has negatively affected household incomes throughout the country. For instance, as of December 2021, 65% of households experienced a decline in their income compared to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that the already high poverty rate has likely increased. Haiti also has one of the highest levels of inequality in the region, mainly because two-thirds of the poor live in rural areas where unfavorable agricultural conditions create a welfare gap between urban and rural regions. Haiti is among the world's most vulnerable countries to natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes, which affect more than 96% of the population. On August 14, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the southern region of Haiti, where approximately 1.6 million people reside. The epicenter was located roughly 12 km northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, about 125 km west of the capital, Port-au-Prince
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