Dominican Republic — humanitarian situation

The Dominican Republic maintained intensified border enforcement throughout the first half of 2026, with the General Directorate of Migration reporting more than 196,000 deportations between January and June UNHCR. Enhanced border measures remained in place nationwide during the second quarter, and authorities announced plans to introduce biometric registration for access to Dominican-Haitian binational markets. The Government also announced a USD 20 million contribution for migration management, while a presidential commission reviewed a draft reform of the General Migration Law 285-04 UNHCR. Monitoring by IOM and partner agencies tracked forced returns to Haiti through June 2026, documenting flows at entry points to guide assistance mechanisms for returnees. The Dominican Republic faces persistent vulnerability to climate-related shocks, with approximately 25 percent of households highly vulnerable to climate events including hurricanes, flooding, and droughts WFP. In April 2026, a trough system generated intense rainfall and prolonged atmospheric instability from 7 April onward, prompting the National Emergency Operations Centre to issue alerts for 28 provinces—4 on red alert, 17 on yellow alert, and 7 on green alert—due to risks of urban and flash flooding IFRC. Agricultural production for the 2026 main paddy crop was anticipated to be slightly below average, reflecting less favorable growing conditions, with above-average import requirements expected for the 2026/27 marketing year FAO. Rice prices in May remained slightly above year-earlier levels, while black bean prices were moderately lower year-on-year. Regional dengue trends showed improvement compared to previous years, with the Americas reporting 1,169,325 suspected cases through epidemiological week 21—a decrease of 64 percent compared to the same period in 2025 and 69 percent below the five-year average PAHO. By epidemiological week 28, total suspected cases reached 1,432,399, representing a regional cumulative incidence of 138 cases per 100,000 population and maintaining the downward trend from 2025 levels PAHO.