Haiti's government raised prices for gasoline, diesel and kerosene earlier this month, forcing vulnerable workers like Alexandre Joseph to walk four hours daily just to reach their jobs—a stark illustration of how global oil shocks driven by conflict in Iran are devastating the Western Hemisphere's most impoverished nation.
Joseph, a 35-year-old factory worker in Port-au-Prince, said the fuel-price increases announced on April 2 have made public transportation unaffordable. "The government raised the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, hitting my family. I now am unable to feed my two children on the salary I have," he said. To survive, Joseph plans to sell soft drinks at night from his home while cutting back on already scarce meals.
A Crisis Compounding Vulnerability
The fuel-price hike—37% for diesel and 29% for gasoline—comes as Haiti faces a spiraling humanitarian crisis. Nearly 40% of Haitians survive on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank, and the country's economy contracted for the seventh consecutive year, with inflation reaching 32% at the end of fiscal year 2025. Almost half of Haiti's nearly 12 million inhabitants already face high levels of acute food insecurity.
Erwan Rumen, deputy country director for the United Nations World Food Program in Haiti, warned of catastrophic consequences. "It's one of the most fragile countries in the world," he said, noting that about 200,000 people recently dropped from the emergency phase to the acute food insecurity phase. "This part of the population is extremely fragile. They're on the verge of collapsing completely."
The conflict in Iran has caused oil prices in Haiti to surge, disrupting critical supply chains, doubling transportation costs and forcing millions of undernourished people to cut back on already scarce meals. "What is a bit frightening is to see that so many efforts could be basically wiped out by things that are completely out of our control," Rumen said.
Gang Violence Multiplies the Burden
Gang violence has exacerbated the crisis, with armed groups controlling key roads and disrupting the transportation of goods. An estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by gangs. Emmline Toussaint, main coordinator of Mary's Meals' BND school-feeding program in Haiti, said gas stations in some regions are selling fuel 25% to 30% higher than government-stipulated prices because of gang violence and difficulties with trucks accessing certain areas.
The U.S.-based nonprofit is forced to use boats and take longer, multiple routes to feed the 196,000 children they serve across Haiti to avoid armed groups. "The humanitarian crisis that we're facing right now is at its worst," Toussaint said. "So far, we are doing our best not to step back. Now, more than ever, the kids need us. … Most of them, it's the only meal they receive."
A powerful gang recently attacked Haiti's central region, killing more than 70 people, according to the United Nations. The World Food Program has been unable to reach 60,000 people in that region who are awaiting aid. "We're going to have more needs and less resources," Rumen warned.
Families Face Impossible Choices
Fedline Jean-Pierre, a 35-year-old mother of a 7-year-old boy, sells carrots, tomatoes and other produce at an outdoor market in Port-au-Prince. She said she was considering raising prices despite customers' inability to pay. "People are not buying now because they don't have money," she said, adding that she likely would have no choice but to increase prices to survive. "I have a child to feed."
Jean-Pierre and her son have lived for two years in a cramped and unsanitary shelter, among the record 1.4 million Haitians displaced by gang violence in recent years. "The government doesn't do anything for me," she said. "Gas is up now, meaning everything will go up."
Street vendor Maxime Poulard, who buys charcoal from suppliers to resell at a higher price, said he occasionally sells two bags of charcoal a day but thinks he soon will only be able to afford to buy half a bag to resell. "Traveling is expensive; eating is expensive; everything is expensive," he said. "I'm not sure if I will be able to hold on much more."
Marc Jean-Louis, a 29-year-old tap-tap driver, said passengers are increasingly bartering fares, but he cannot afford to offer discounts. "All the money is going toward gas," he said, calling on the government to reduce prices "so that everyone can breathe."
Public Anger and Protest
On April 6, Haitians dragged burning tires and other debris to block streets and protest the fuel-price increase in Port-au-Prince. Local media reported gunfire as some Haitians forced the drivers of small colorful buses known as tap-taps to disembark their passengers.
Allen Joseph, program manager for Mercy Corps in Haiti, said rising oil prices are crushing the country's fragile economy. "The families already spending most of their income on food will face impossible tradeoffs," he said. He warned the increase will affect access to basic services, including potable water, and said, "This is not an abstract inflation. It will directly impact survival."
Why This Matters:
Haiti's fuel-price crisis reveals how global conflicts and energy market volatility disproportionately devastate nations with limited economic resilience and weak social safety nets. When workers must walk four hours daily and families cannot afford a single meal, the failure is not individual but systemic—a consequence of inadequate international support, domestic governance gaps, and the absence of price stabilization mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable. With gang violence controlling 90% of the capital and humanitarian organizations struggling to reach those in need, the compounding pressures of fuel costs, food insecurity and displacement create conditions where survival itself becomes uncertain. The crisis underscores the urgent need for coordinated international intervention, debt relief, and investments in public infrastructure that can buffer poor nations from external shocks beyond their control.