Welcome to USAID/Haiti

For over 50 years, the people of the United States have been providing assistance to the Haitian people, especially to those who are most vulnerable.  USAID/Haiti supports programs that improve public healthcare, community revitalization projects that create both jobs and empower community and local government partnerships, education services that focus on improving primary school quality and targeting out-of-school youth with education and job skills training, and reforming the judicial system and independent media outlets.  Haiti is also one of the targeted countries under President Bush's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS relief and the U.S. Government is working to increase the availability of clinical care and antiretroviral treatments for people who are affected by HIV/AIDS. 

Last year, the Haitian people endured a violent political crisis and overcame substantial flooding and drought that resulted in the loss of thousands of lives and livelihoods. In response to changing circumstances, USAID quickly expanded its program to emphasize reconstruction and recovery efforts. Specifically, USAID directly supported the efforts of the Interim Government of Haiti (IGOH) to improve living conditions and respond to the essential needs of the Haitian population, including the provision of electricity in the capital city, creating short-term employment opportunities throughout the country, sending children back to school, reopening clinics and hospitals, easing access to credit, and collecting garbage that accumulated in the streets of Port-au-Prince.  USAID is also supporting recovery efforts in the areas of the country hardest hit by Tropical Storm Jeanne in September 2004, by funding projects that focus on infrastructure rehabilitation, mud clean-up, hillside stabilization, and disaster response preparedness.

Two hundred years after gaining independence, Haiti is again facing a major turning point as the country prepares for the holding of local and national elections in the fall of 2005.  Haiti 's future depends on elections that are considered free and fair to ensure the legitimacy of the new government and enhance their ability to govern effectively. The stabilization of the political and security environment in Haiti is central to U.S. foreign policy and USAID objectives.

The U.S. Government continues to support the IGOH's efforts to revitalize an eroded economy and create sustainable opportunities for citizens, who surmount struggles in their daily lives.  USAID is committed to assisting the Haitian people, and we are proud of the quality of assistance we have been able to provide in cooperation with our many local and international partners.

Erna Kerst
USAID/Haiti Mission Director