Haiti Hikes Fuel Prices Amid Global Oil Surge

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Rising global oil prices triggered by the conflict in Iran have forced Haiti's government to sharply increase fuel costs, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation and pushing millions toward deeper poverty and hunger.

On April 2, authorities announced a 29 percent hike in gasoline prices and a 37 percent increase in diesel, alongside rises in kerosene. The move, aimed at offsetting surging import costs, has doubled transportation expenses and disrupted supply chains, compelling undernourished residents to ration scarce meals. Nearly half of Haiti's 12 million people already grapple with acute food insecurity, a situation worsened by ongoing gang violence that controls an estimated 90 percent of fuel distribution and blocks key roads.

Factory worker Alexandre Joseph, 35, now walks two hours each way to his job in the capital, unable to afford public transport. "The government raised the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, hitting my family," he said recently, voicing concerns for his two children amid gathering crowds. "I now am unable to feed my two children on the salary I have." To cope, Joseph...