Haiti

As part of a USAID-funded project, Haitian workers remove rubble from a technical school site in Carre-four, Haiti. The building near them was recently de-molished. Photo: Kendra Helmer/USAID  

USAID is committed to working with the Government of Haiti to develop programs that form the basis for long-term, sustainable development and reconstruction in Haiti.

USAID is working closely with the Government of Haiti, other donors, and local organizations to help Haiti recover. . 

Overview

Statistically the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and ranked 145th out of 169 countries on the UN Human Development In-dex (HDI) Haiti faces significant development challenges. These challenges were heightened by the January 12, 2010, 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city. The earthquake was the most powerful Haiti had seen in 200 years, killing hundreds of thousands and leaving over 1.6 million homeless. In total, more than 3 million Haitians were affected by the disaster. It was the worst humanitarian and economic disaster record-ed in the Western Hemisphere in a nation where 78% of the population live on less than $2 a day and 1 in 4 children is chronically undernour-ished

Earthquake Response

When the earthquake struck, Haiti lost leaders, civil servants, and key professionals, all in less than a minute. Critical public infrastructure – including electricity and cell phone grids, schools, hospitals, adminis-trative buildings, the main port, and the international airport – was destroyed or rendered nonfunctional. The World Bank and United Nations Development Program’s Post-Disaster Needs Assessment estimated total damages and losses at $7.8 billion USD, amounting to 120% of Haiti’s 2009 GDP.

The U.S. Government, through USAID, responded within 24 hours of the earthquake, conducting urban search-and-rescue operations, providing medical care, securing water, food, and shelter for the dis-placed, and helping the country rebuild.

Despite these achievements, much remains to be done. USAID is committed to leveraging its expertise to serve the people of Haiti and help them recover and rebuild. It seeks to assist Haiti in becoming a more stable and prosperous nation characterized by sustained demo-cratic governance, economically vibrant metropolitan centers outside of Port-au-Prince, and reduced vulnerability to natural disaster.

The U.S. Government is working in sectors where it can materially and systemically add value and generate results. We seek depth in four key areas – infrastructure (including housing and energy), food and economic security, health and other basic services, and governance and rule of law.

Programs

Energy and Infrastructure

The earthquake left more than a million people homeless and destroyed much of the public infrastructure in Port-au-Prince. USAID is assisting low-income residents in heavily damaged communities through projects that assess the structural soundness of damaged buildings and make repairs as necessary. We are also supporting economic development through investment in new housing and supporting a participatory community enumeration process to determine land tenure and occupancy. USAID is working to increase access to appropriate housing and community services for Haitian citizens, while assisting the Government of Haiti in its efforts to improve access to housing finance and strengthen building codes. Other economic infrastructure activities will include investments to improve Haiti’s ports and energy sector to help provide solutions for affordable, reliable power for Haitian citizens and businesses, as currently only 12% of Haitians have formal access to electricity

Food and Economic Security

Agriculture is central to the Haitian economy – generating nearly 25 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and employing more than 60 percent of the country’s population. USAID food security pro-grams in Haiti will help participating farmers and communities by in-creasing agricultural productivity of both high-value and staple crops while teaching environmentally responsible farming techniques. Out-side of the agricultural sector, USAID is facilitating access to invest-ment capital so that small businesses can grow. USAID is also working with the GOH to simplify regulations and improve the overall business climate. Professional and vocational training programs will be expanded to develop the next generation of business owners and employees.

Health and Education

Even before the earthquake, the health care network in Haiti could not meeting basic primary care needs for all Haitians and access to spe-cialized care was extremely limited. USAID, with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Centers for Disease Control, is providing continued essential health care services for up to half the population, implementing integrated programs for people with HIV/AIDS, and constructing and renovating health facilities from the Haitian State University Hospital to health facilities at the local level. Efforts will also continue to treat cholera and reduce its spread.

Governing Justly and Democratically

USAID seeks to build the Government of Haiti’s capacity to deliver es-sential public services and perform critical security and legislative func-tions. It is mobilizing technical assistance throughout the government and is rebuilding infrastructure so that civil servants can get back to work. USAID is also building judicial system capacity, and developing programs that protect vulnerable populations, including women and children.

Humanitarian Assistance

USAID’s ongoing humanitarian assistance includes feeding the most vulnerable, including young children and pregnant and lactating mothers, and working to provide transitional shelters so that Haitians can be better protected against future disasters as permanent shelter solutions are found. Given Haiti’s fragility, a focus on reducing vulnerability to disaster is crucial. USAID is working with the Government of Haiti to build the long-term disaster response capacity of the Haitian government through comprehensive planning, risk assessments, and response activities. It is committed to expanding early-warning systems that include food security monitoring, disaster mitigation, shelter activities, and community-led relief and rehabilitation programs.