Transition Initiatives: Honduras Program Summary (May 1999)
Helping To Rebuild
Hurricane Mitch swept through Honduras
in October 1998, devastating the country. Helping Hondurans recover
from the severe damage caused by the hurricane required an
extraordinary relief effort and large-scale reconstruction
assistance. The dire nature of the situation was dramatically
illustrated by the hundreds of families living in temporary shelters
like the Honduran Olympic Stadium, where they lived below bleachers,
in changing rooms, and in tents on the playing fields.
In the capital, where the largest number of people
were left homeless, OTI worked closely with the local government
to find a permanent housing solution for families who lost their
homes in storm flooding. OTI coordinated donor and NGO meetings
and provided technical assistance and funding to overcome hurdles
that might otherwise have impeded replacement housing activities.
OTI funded a national evaluation of short-term
employment needs in the worst-hit areas outside the capital.
Analysis showed that immediate repairs of key rural roads and
bridges would restore private investment and replace lost jobs. OTI
also funded the initial implementation plan for that
activity.
In April 1999, an innovative, hybrid voucher/grant
program was initiated by OTI, in cooperation with USAID/Honduras and
the International Organization for Migration, to help 2,000
displaced families living in "macro-shelters" like the
Olympic Stadium. Beneficiaries of this program received a
voucher for an amount of money that could be applied toward a more
permanent housing solution. The amount was insufficient to pay for a
complete solution, but motivated NGOs with housing programs to
prioritize shelter for voucher recipients. The NGOs "cashed-in" the vouchers and used the funding to improve
their projects and infrastructure.
OTI and the mission also worked with other multilateral
donors to design an effective oversight mechanism to identify and
report on potential misuse, abuse, and fraud associated with
reconstruction activities.
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