Haiti

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Thematic Focus
• Progress on Aid Effectiveness
• Achievements

Overview

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. With a population of 10.2 million, the country ranks 158 out of 187 on the United Nations Development Programme's 2011 human development index.

Development efforts in Haiti experienced a setback in January 2010 when a powerful earthquake hit the capital, Port-au-Prince, and neighbouring regions. The earthquake killed 230,000 people, displaced 1,300,000 persons, destroyed infrastructure, and severely disrupted basic services and economic activity. This calamity occurred at a time when Haiti had just completed a year of relative stability in terms of security and development as well as progress on human rights after the major natural disasters of 2008.

The Government of Haiti continues its efforts to generate revenue to finance the investments needed to rebuild the country, boost the economy, and implement its poverty reduction strategy (PDF, 1 KB, 275 pages). Haiti has made great efforts to improve its economic governance. Through the project to strengthen public sector management, mobilize tax revenue, and help service debt, CIDA's assistance directly supports the Government of Haiti in meeting its immediate priorities and its challenges.

Earthquake-stricken Haitians continue to live under extremely difficult conditions, especially in the Jacmel, Léogâne, and Port-au-Prince regions, which were at the epicentre. The needs remain enormous, and it will take years for Haiti to recover and rebuild. Earthquake-damaged infrastructure requires major work, and several essential services have not yet been restored.

Canada has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Haitians affected by this tragedy, and Canada is playing a major role in recovery efforts throughout Haiti. Canada is a member of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission. Canada is also working closely with the Government of Haiti, its Canadian partners, and its international counterparts to assist the poorest and rebuild Haiti, in line with the Action Plan for Reconstruction and National Development, as well as the priorities of the Government of Haiti.

Canada's response goes well beyond post-earthquake assistance. It also aims to assist all Haitians who rely on international aid to create the necessary conditions for a better future.

Thematic Focus

To strengthen aid effectiveness and to make its overall international aid even more focused, the Government of Canada has established three priority themes for CIDA'S assistance efforts: increasing food security, securing the future of children and youth, and stimulating sustainable economic growth. These priority themes guide CIDA's work in Haiti.

As an extension of Canada's significant humanitarian response to the earthquake in Haiti, CIDA reviewed its ongoing program to ensure that it is fully in line with Haiti's priorities for rapid recovery, reconstruction, and development. The revised programming allows CIDA to continue to implement its current bilateral program and to respond more directly to the needs identified by the Government of Haiti. CIDA's priority themes are still relevant and consistent with the priorities of the Government of Haiti.

Among other things, Canada has made visible and sustainable contributions in child health, in education, and in combatting hunger. For example, Canada has provided food aid including through large-scale school feeding programs and has supported agricultural development.

The engagement of civil society and international organizations is integral to CIDA's work in developing countries. Several Canadian organizations, many international organizations, and United Nations agencies are all currently active in Haiti. These partners are involved in a series of sectors, including humanitarian assistance, income-generating activities, agriculture, health, environment, equality between women and men, and participation in democracy.

Progress on Aid Effectiveness

Aid effectiveness, including close coordination among donors, will continue to guide CIDA's work. CIDA will maintain a flexible approach and be ready to respond to changing needs and contingencies. At the same time, CIDA realizes the inherent fragility of Haiti.

To build its capacity to achieve results, CIDA has taken practical steps to strengthen aid effectiveness. These steps include untying aid, sectoral and country focus, harmonization, and decentralization.

In line with Canada's whole-of-government approach, CIDA provides development aid in partnership with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and other departments, to further Haiti's long-term reconstruction and development. Balancing short- and long-term activities will make it possible to implement initiatives that promote stability and progress for sustainable development.

The programs that CIDA manages with its partners in Haiti aim to promote sustainable development, to improve the effectiveness of public and social institutions, to promote stability and security, and to assist in providing key services. These programs also include aid provided in response to humanitarian crises or natural disasters. This involves ensuring that the people affected have access to basic emergency services. In these circumstances, various partnerships provide the necessary flexibility and expertise for a most effective response.

The Government of Canada's financial commitment to Haiti currently totals more than $1 billion (2006-2012), making Haiti the largest beneficiary of Canadian development assistance in the Americas.

Achievements 2010-2011

Children and youth, including maternal, newborn and child health

• Increased access for girls and boys to quality teaching
• Registered 24,000 children in displaced persons camps on the civil registry, providing them with identification and access to basic services
• Increased immunization coverage rates for measles and rubella, from 44 percent in 2006 to 66 percent in 2011, and for polio, from 61 percent in 2008 to 78 percent in 2011

Food security

• Provided 400,000 girls and boys with a hot meal every day of the school year, enabling them to improve their learning

Economic growth

• Helped increase membership in the savings and credit cooperatives network, which now boasts 47 cooperatives and 24 points of service, by 20.6 percent (total number of members: 369,000) and helped provide stable, permanent employment in rural regions through the network
• Helped revitalize the national agricultural sector, enabling 400,000 people to increase their income and food security
• Contributed to the priorities of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, including housing and debris management

Governance

• Helped register 4.8 million people in the civil registry since 2008-about 85 percent of the adult population-enabling them to access basic services, apply for credit, obtain title to property, or vote
• Participated in the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission and the Haiti Reconstruction Fund to ensure that the rebuilding process is being managed effectively, transparently and responsibly

Humanitarian assistance

• Continued to respond to the ongoing and urgent needs of those still suffering the effects of the devastating earthquake and the widespread cholera epidemic of 2010
• Constructed 3,200 transitional shelter units in Port-au-Prince, Léogane and Jacmel
• Provided clean drinking water, latrines, and cleaning facilities to 75,000 people
• Vaccinated 60,000 children against common diseases
• Enabled 85 percent of the affected population to have access to cholera treatment and/or cholera treatment centres

Achievements 2009-2010

Children and youth

• Helped provide access to quality health services for sexually transmitted infections for 1,140,000 Haitians, including youth, in 11 of the 15 communes in the Artibonite region

Food security

• Distributed more than three million sweet potato cuttings, 970,000 cassava cuttings, 11,600 toolkits, 176 tonnes of grain and legume seeds, 102 tonnes of manure, and 38 tonnes of compost to Haitian farmers to help improve their food production

Economic growth

• More than 350,000 Haitians became members of 48 credit unions with 28 points of service. This represents a 17 percent increase in loans, a 16 percent increase in savings, and a 13 percent increase in membership. The network provides hundreds of permanent jobs in rural areas, and enables hundreds more to manage a democratic and legally recognized institution.

Governance

• Produced and distributed nationwide more than 480,000 identification cards, thus enabling people to access public services and vote
• Contributed $12 million for the post-earthquake construction of temporary offices for key Haitian government departments

Humanitarian assistance

• Contributed to the provision of emergency food aid to 4.3 million Haitians, water and sanitation services to 1.3 million Haitians, emergency and temporary housing to 370,000 households, and relief items following the earthquake

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