[Port-au-Prince] – On January 11, the American people provided an additional $75.5 million in development assistance to Haiti. The agreement between the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Government of Haiti, through the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, will improve development outcomes throughout Haiti in the health, education, agriculture, and governance sectors, among others.
U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison noted: “Through USAID, the U.S. government has helped improve health and education outcomes, advance economic and food security, and strengthened local government institutions and citizen engagement.”
This latest agreement brings USAID’s total assistance to Haiti to nearly $1.9 billion since 2011. Furthermore, to date, the U.S. government has provided more than $16 million in COVID-19-related assistance, which includes USAID, U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention support for Haiti’s COVID-19 response.
This new funding will be used to implement USAID programs in Haiti in health, education, food security, agricultural development, economic growth, water and sanitation, and governance. USAID’s strategy in Haiti is focused on working with the Haitian government, civil society, and our partners to achieve sustainable development results and keep Haiti on the path to self-reliance.
Our programs aim to build resilience in people, communities, and systems in response to ongoing shocks and stresses, fostering more inclusive, locally-driven economic growth and social development, and bolstering governance that is more responsive to citizens’ needs. Our interventions are centered around building the local capacity to provide for basic human needs that improve fundamental living conditions; helping Haitians become more productive and find stable, diversified, and sustainable livelihoods; promoting inclusive economic opportunities through the development of local markets; and enabling a business environment more conducive to investment and economic growth.
USAID Haiti Mission Director Chris Cushing remarked: “The American people will continue to help our Haitian neighbors access better health care services, learn better in schools, acquire new professional skills, and increase agricultural production and economic opportunities. We are neighbors, partners, and friends. Together, we can build a brighter future in Haiti.”
For more information about USAID’s development objectives, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/haiti.