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# 					Status of Post-Earthquake Recovery and Development Efforts in Haiti			

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													Introduction											

                -  Introduction   
                -  Attachment A: Table of Contents   
                -  Attachment B: Activities List   
                -  Attachment C: Description of Indicators   
                -  Attachment D: Strategy Overview   
                -  Attachment E   
                -  Attachment F   
                -  Attachment G   
                -  Attachment H   
                -  Attachment I   
                -  Attachment J   
                -  Attachment K   
                -  Attachment L   
                -  Attachment M   
                -  Attachment N   
                -  Attachment O   

							Introduction					

This report is provided in response to the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-162) (“the Act”), which directed the Secretary of State to submit to Congress an annual report on the status of post-earthquake recovery and development in Haiti. The Department of State, in cooperation with other U.S. government agencies, is submitting the report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs; the Committee on Appropriations; and the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Foreign Relations; the Committee on Appropriations; and the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the Senate. In view of the scope of information sought by the Act, this report is broken into multiple attachments, some of which are in tabular form. Their contents are listed in Attachment A.

It is now almost eight years since a devastating earthquake hit Haiti January 12, 2010. U.S. assistance has shifted from disaster relief to long-term reconstruction and development efforts focused on advancing economic opportunities and job creation, increasing access to basic services, enhancing basic sanitation and safe water access to reduce the spread of cholera and other diseases, building capacity of government institutions, improving the quality of basic education, bolstering the security sector, strengthening neighborhood development, and promoting a Haitian-led approach to food security. The U.S. government committed $3.4 billion to these aid efforts, with 98 percent of those funds obligated and 88 percent disbursed as of June 2017. In November 2016, Haiti successfully completed its electoral process and the Moise administration took incremental steps to maintain macroeconomic stability in 2017. Furthermore, there has been progress in the four core pillars of the U.S. government’s “Post‐Earthquake Haiti Strategy: Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity” – infrastructure and energy, food and economic security, health and other basic services, and governance and rule of law.

To serve as effective development partners, Haitian officials must be backed by strong and legitimate political institutions. From 2013 through early 2016, lack of consensus among Haiti’s political elites impeded progress toward timely and credible elections. On November 20, 2016, Jovenel Moise was elected president in the first round with 55 percent of the vote. The subsequent round of nationwide elections in January 2017 elected Haiti’s parliament, town halls, and local councils. For the first time since 2006, Haitians are represented at each level of government by elected officials.

Even as it faces some opposition, the Moise administration has moved forward with its agenda, prioritizing infrastructure development, economic growth, and energy creation. It has been a strong partner in the smooth repatriation from the United States of more than 5,000 Haitian migrants. In the near term, Haiti would benefit from reaching a political consensus to hold its next legislative elections and establish a permanent electoral council (CEP) to avoid repeating the electoral dysfunction from which the country just emerged. The legislative and judicial branches have made some progress toward selecting members, and the government is working towards establishing a CEP. The transition from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to the much smaller UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) places a larger burden of responsibility for providing security on the shoulders of the Haitian police force. The Haitian National Police (HNP) managed to provide general security in its first real test – a series of sometimes-violent street protests in autumn of 2017 – with professionalism and restraint. While these protests were relatively small in scale, the Government of Haiti will need to continue building the capacity of the HNP. The HNP’s performance in managing 2017 protests is an encouraging sign as Haiti aims to strengthen its democratic institutions.

The United States spent approximately $33 million on electoral assistance leading up to the successful 2015-2017 electoral cycle, training election officials and observers, and providing logistical aid with the transport of officials, ballots, and equipment. As part of this assistance, working with USAID, the National Democratic Institute and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems spent approximately $12 million in U.S. government funds from 2013 to 2017 to make the electoral process more transparent and equitable through civic engagement to boost voter turnout, capacity building for Haitian election monitors, and work with civic organizations to deter electoral violence. In addition, the United States provided $2 million to the OAS for its electoral observation mission, and approximately $5 million to the UN Office of Project Services to support electoral logistics. Additional information about U.S. assistance initiatives related to good governance can be found in Attachment I.

In the area of Infrastructure and Energy, the Caracol Industrial Park (CIP) marked five years of operations in 2017 and serves as a model public-private partnership in northern Haiti, attracting new tenants and creating additional jobs. The number of employees and contractors at CIP grew to close to 12,900 as of September 2017, up from 10,393 in September 2016. To spur further CIP expansion, the Government of Haiti, USAID, and the International Finance Corporation moved forward with the improvement of the nearby port at Cap-Haitien. With USAID assistance, the Government of Haiti is preparing to award a new contract for port operations and management. The procurement process is in the final stages and the Government of Haiti projects it will sign an agreement in early 2018. USAID’s procurement process for the design/build work is also in the final stages and a contract award is planned in 2018 with an anticipated 30-month design/build period. USAID is also helping to train officials to ensure more efficient customs functions and transparent port regulatory operations.

U.S. shelter assistance is focused on cost-effective ways to increase durable housing stock, building on private construction and repair efforts by increasing low- and medium-income access to capital. With the assistance of the U.S. government through USAID, the Government of Haiti’s social housing unit is taking on greater responsibility for community development, including the cleaning and maintenance of common areas, drainage, and solid waste removal. The electric power plant built to supply energy to the CIP also provides power 24 hours per day to more than 10,000 residents and businesses in surrounding areas. For the customers provided with proper drops and meters, the collection rate has remained constant at around 80 percent. Additional information about the progress of U.S. efforts to expand the industrial park, energy, housing, and ports can be found in Attachment E.

In the area of Food and Economic Security, U.S. government assistance has helped Haitian farmers by increasing productivity, improving watershed management and irrigation systems, and directly linking the buyers and sellers of agricultural products. Approximately 80,000 farmer households have more than doubled their incomes as beneficiaries of USAID’s Feed the Future initiative. Because most job growth comes from small businesses, USAID’s Local Enterprise and Value Chain Enhancement program has provided technical assistance and business development services that strengthened management and improved product quality for more than 1,000 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the Leveraging Effective Application of Direct Investments program helped attract investment through matching grants. Via the work of the Department of the Treasury, the United States also helped the Government of Haiti consolidate financial accounts and increase transparency and revenue generation. Attachment L provides additional information about U.S. food security initiatives, and Attachment J elaborates on U.S. engagement with Haiti’s private sector.

In the area of Health and other Basic Services, U.S. government assistance improved health indicators through programs managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAID. There have been significant gains in cholera prevention and control since the peak of the outbreak in 2011 – specifically in regards to improved disease surveillance; expanded laboratory capacity; and community-level water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions. The 2017 year-to-date figures represent a 66 percent decline in reported suspected cholera cases compared to 2016 and more than a 97 percent decline from 2011. The number of HIV-positive patients enrolled on anti-retroviral treatment grew from 4,294 in 2005 to 91,660 in 2017, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is provided to nearly 100 percent of pregnant women in care at a health facility – one of the highest rates in the world. With U.S. government support, Haiti successfully eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) – a critical feat allowing the region of the Americas to be declared MNT-free. U.S. health assistance is focused on preventing, detecting, and responding to public health threats and building the Government of Haiti’s capacity to provide citizens with quality health care. Haiti’s Ministry of Health served as a pilot ministry by taking on increased responsibility for tracking expenditures. The ministry also implemented a results-based financing system that directs increased budgetary resources to high-performing health facilities.

In the area of governance and rule of law, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and USAID are working to promote effective, transparent, and accountable administrative and law enforcement agencies. INL worked to bolster Haiti’s criminal justice system, fostering respect for human rights, improving counternarcotics efforts, and renovating corrections facilities. With U.S. assistance, the HNP added approximately 7,000 trained officers to its force since the devastating 2010 earthquake. The HNP now numbers approximately 15,500 officers, of which approximately 10 percent are women.

The U.S. government, through INL, helped alleviate prison overcrowding through construction of new prisons in Cabaret and Fort Liberté in 2016 and is nearing completion of a third prison in Petit Goave. However, the Haitian government will still need to contribute significant resources towards this effort to avoid further exacerbating overcrowding of prisons in Port-au-Prince. USAID provided software and training to targeted municipalities that increased tax collections and improved community planning and service delivery. Further details about engagement with civil society organizations are available in Attachments F and G, and a comprehensive list of programs and projects in Haiti can be found in Attachment B.

In a country more prone to natural disasters than almost any other, progress in long-term reconstruction and development has not been as great as Haiti or the United States had hoped. Still, there have been significant achievements in areas such as police professionalization, health indicators, and agricultural production. A description of the benchmarks and indicators linked with development objectives is provided in Attachment C.

While U.S. assistance providers made no major strategy adjustments in 2016, they continued to implement two key changes made in January 2015. First, in the area of shelter, assistance has evolved from building new housing to complementing private sector housing solutions. The new focus, which stretches funds to benefit more Haitians, is on improvements in access to housing financing and community development, including the maintenance and improvement of existing neighborhoods. Second, the objective of building a new port to support CIP changed, at the Government of Haiti’s request, to rehabilitating the existing port in Cap-Haitien. Both of these adjustments have lowered costs and enhanced project sustainability by promoting local solutions and Government of Haiti buy-in. These changes, as well as smaller strategy adjustments, are described in Attachment D.

Haiti made important advances in its reconstruction and development. The United States has a significant national interest in helping to build a prosperous, stable, and healthy future for a regional partner and neighbor so close to our shores, and has demonstrated a commitment to Haiti’s development over the long term. Additional information about the U.S. government’s engagement in Haiti is available in Attachments H**,**K**,**M**,**N**, and**O.

							Attachment A: Table of Contents					

Attachment B: The Activities List responds to sections 5(b)(2) and 5(b)(3)(D) of the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-162) (the Act). Section 5(b)(2) calls for “a breakdown of the work that United States Government agencies other than USAID and the Department of State are conducting in that recovery effort, and the cost of that assistance[.]” Section 5(b)(3)(D) calls for “the amounts committed, obligated, and expended on programs and activities to implement the Strategy, by sector and by implementing partner at the prime and subprime levels (in amounts of not less than $25,000)[.]” The information is provided in tabular form.

Attachment C: The Description of Indicators responds to section 5(b)(3)(C) of the Act. Section 5(b)(3)(C) of the Act calls for “a description of the quantitative and qualitative indicators used to evaluate the progress toward meeting the goals and objectives, benchmarks, and timeframes specified in the Strategy at the program level[.]” The information is provided in tabular form.

Attachment D: The Strategy Overview responds to sections 5(b)(1), 5(b)(3)(A) and 5(b)(3)(B) of the Act. Section 5(b)(1) calls for “a summary of the “Post-Earthquake USG Haiti Strategy: Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity “, including any significant changes to the strategy over the reporting period and an explanation thereof[.]” Section 5(b)(3)(A) calls for “an assessment of progress, or lack thereof, over the reporting period toward meeting the goals and objectives, benchmarks, and timeframes specified in the Strategy[.]” Section 5(b)(3)(B) calls for “a description of any significant changes to the Strategy over the reporting period and an explanation thereof.” The information is provided in tabular form.

Attachment E: Responds to Sections 5(b)(3), 5(b)(3)(A), 5(b)(3)(B)(i), 5(b)(3)(B)(ii), 5(b)(3)(B)(iii), and 5(b)(3)(E) of the Act. Section 5(b)(3) calls for “an assessment of the progress of United States efforts to advance the objectives of the “Post Earthquake USG Haiti Strategy: Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity”’ produced by the Department of State, compared to what remains to be achieved to meet specific goals[.]” Section 5(b)(3)(A) calls for “a description of any significant changes to the Strategy over the reporting period and an explanation thereof.” Section 5(b)(3)(B)(i) calls for “a description of progress toward designing and implementing a coordinated and sustainable housing reconstruction strategy that addresses land ownership, secure land tenure, water and sanitation, and the unique concerns of vulnerable populations such as women and children, as well as neighborhood and community revitalization, housing finance, and capacity building for the Government of Haiti to implement an effective housing policy.” Section 5(b)(3)(B)(ii) calls for “a description of United States Government efforts to construct and sustain the proposed port, as well as an assessment of the current projected timeline and cost for completion[.]” Section 5(b)(3)(B)(iii) calls for “a description of United States Government efforts to attract and leverage the investments of private sector partners to the CIP, including by addressing any policy implements[.]” Section 5(b)(3)(E) call for “a description of the risk mitigation measures put in place to limit the exposure of United States assistance provided under the Strategy to waste, fraud, and abuse[.]” The responses to these provisions of the Act are detailed in Attachment D.

Attachment F: Responds to section 5(b)(4) of the Act. Section 5(b)(4) calls for “a description of measures taken to strengthen, and United States Government efforts to improve, Haitian governmental and nongovernmental organizational capacity to undertake and sustain United States-supported recovery programs[.]”

Attachment G: Responds to section 5(b)(5) of the Act. Section 5(b)(5) calls for “as appropriate, a description of United States efforts to consult and engage with Government of Haiti ministries and local authorities on the establishment of goals and timeframes, and on the design and implementation of new programs under the Post-Earthquake USG Haiti Strategy: Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity[.]”

Attachment H: Responds to section 5(b)(6) of the Act. Section 5(b)(6) calls for “a description of efforts by Haiti’s legislative and executive branches to consult and engage with Haitian civil society and grassroots organizations on the establishment of goals and timeframes, and on the design and implementation of new donor-financed programs, as well as efforts to coordinate with and engage the Haitian diaspora[.]”

Attachment I: Responds to section 5(b)(7) of the Act. Section 5(b)(7) calls for “consistent with the Government of Haiti’s ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, a description of efforts of the Governments of the United States and Haiti to strengthen Government of Haiti institutions established to address corruption, as well as related efforts to promote public accountability, meet public outreach and disclosure obligations, and support civil society participation in anti-corruption efforts[.]”

Attachment J: Responds to section 5(b)(8) of the Act. Section 5(b)(8) calls for “a description of efforts to leverage public-private partnerships and increase the involvement of the private sector in Haiti in recovery and development activities and coordinate programs with the private sector and other donors[.]”

Attachment K: Responds to section 5(b)(9) of the Act. Section 5(b)(9) calls for “a description of efforts to address the particular needs of vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons, women, children, orphans, and persons with disabilities, in the design and implementation of new programs and infrastructure[.]”

Attachment L: Responds to section 5(b)(10) of the Act. Section 5(b)(10) calls for “a description of the impact that agriculture and infrastructure programs are having on the food security, livelihoods, and land tenure security of smallholder farmers, particularly women[.]”

Attachment M: Responds to section 5(b)(11) of the Act. Section 5(b)(11) calls for “a description of mechanisms for communicating the progress of recovery and development efforts to the people of Haiti, including a description of efforts to provide documentation, reporting and procurement information in Haitian Creole[.]”

Attachment N: Responds to section 5(b)(12) of the Act. Section 5(b)(12) calls for “a description of the steps the Government of Haiti is taking to strengthen its capacity to receive individuals who are removed, excluded, or deported from the United States[.]”

Attachment O: Responds to section 5(b)(13) of the Act. Section 5(b)(13) calls for “an assessment of actions necessary to be taken by the Government of Haiti to assist in fulfilling the objectives of the Strategy[.]”

							Attachment B: Activities List					

Attachment B: Activities List [405 KB]

							Attachment C: Description of Indicators					

Attachment C: Description Of Indicators [PDF Version] [413 KB]

							Attachment D: Strategy Overview					

Attachment D: Strategy Overview [PDF Version] [431 KB]