The post-earthquake USG Haiti strategy, “Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity,” was developed to support Haiti’s rebuilding efforts after the devastating January 2010 earthquake. The strategy aims to catalyze economic growth through investments in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure, while ensuring long-term stability through investments in public institutions.
The USG’s reconstruction and long-term development plan seeks to support new and diverse economic opportunities outside of Port-au-Prince, using focused and catalytic investments in housing, energy, agriculture, health, security, and national and local governance. This approach is consistent with the Government of Haiti’s (GOH) Haiti Action Plan, which emphasizes the need to develop new and diverse economic opportunities outside of the capital city.
The earthquake caused significant damage and losses, with estimated damages and losses totaling $7.8 billion, amounting to 120 percent of Haiti’s 2009 GDP. The World Bank estimates that Haiti will need at least $11.5 billion in assistance from all sources, as well as countless hours of labor by Haitians and their partners from the international community, to “build back better.”
The strategy identifies four core development pillars: infrastructure and energy, food and economic security, health and other basic services, and governance and rule of law. Three development corridors have been identified: the Port-au-Prince Corridor, the Saint Marc Corridor, and the Cap Haitien Corridor.
The strategy also emphasizes the importance of building country capacity and leveraging the resources of other partners. USG assistance will be country-led, comprehensive, and integrated, and will be sustained and accountable. The strategy recognizes that Haiti must determine how to rebuild and restructure its overcrowded capital city, which has absorbed multitudes of rural migrants.
In recent years, Haiti has shown signs of progress, with increased political and social stability laying the groundwork for an economic rebound. Growth in GDP, adjusted for prices, averaged two percent from 2005-2008, and several indicators of human development improved as well. However, the country still faces significant challenges, including poverty, inequality, and a lack of access to basic services.
The USG’s reconstruction and long-term development plan seeks to address these challenges by supporting new and diverse economic opportunities outside of Port-au-Prince, while ensuring long-term stability through investments in public institutions. The strategy recognizes that Haiti’s future is uncertain, but it is committed to supporting the country’s efforts to build a better future for its people.