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International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti
Over US $5 billion pledged for Haiti’s recovery
March 31, 2010 – United Nations member states and international partners pledged $5.3 billion for the next 18 months to begin Haiti’s path to long-term recovery from the January 12 earthquake. Over 150 countries and international organizations gathered March 31 at UN headquarters in New York in support of the people and Government of Haiti.
“Today it has been demonstrated that the international community will continue to support Haiti in the long-term and we will meet the needs,” said René Préval, President of Haiti. “Small and large countries contributed, demonstrating that Haiti is not on its own. Thank you. The international community did their part, and now the Haitian people will do their share. The recovery process must continue, preparing the ground for long-term development and investments.” The money pledged at the donors’ conference, Towards a New Future in Haiti , will be used not only rebuild Haiti over the long-haul, but to build back better.
During the conference, the Government of Haiti presented the Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti, a roadmap that outlines their priorities for short and long-term reconstruction, and donors committed to align their assistance to that Plan.
“The leaders of Haiti must take responsibility for their country’s reconstruction,” said Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, pledging $1.15 billion for Haiti’s long-term reconstruction. “And we in the global community must also do things differently. It will be tempting to fall back on old habits – to work around the government rather than to work with them as partners, or to fund a scattered array of well-meaning projects rather than making the deeper, long-term investments that Haiti needs now.”
Since the devastating earthquake, which killed more than 220,000 people and left Haiti’s government and economic infrastructure in ruins, over 140 countries, civil society organizations, private companies and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank have pledged immediate humanitarian assistance for early recovery work, including food, sanitation and rubble clearance.
“As we move from emergency aid to long-term reconstruction, what we envision is a wholesale national renewal, a sweeping exercise in nation-building on a scale and scope not seen in generations,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “Today, we have mobilized to give Haiti and its people what they need most: hope for a new future. We have made a good start, we need now to deliver.”
“The international community must support Haiti as it leads the recovery process – and this involves not only the government but also civil society organizations and the private sector,” said President Bill Clinton, UN Special Envoy for Haiti. “My job will be to maximize the inputs and the impact of all donors – in a transparent way."
During the conference, speakers emphasized the need for all stakeholders, most importantly the Haitian people, as well as the Diaspora community, state and local governments to be included in the the reconstruction process. They indicated that the process must offer new opportunities for economic advancement for Haitian people, specifically women.
“The UN will support short term job creation; the development of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises; and the creation of the enabling environment needed for investors to help generate sustainable employment over the long term,” said Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator and Chair of the UN Development Group. “The inclusion of women at decision-making tables will be vital for lasting progress.”
The conference was co-hosted by the UN and the United States, in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, and is co-chaired by Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain. The total amount of pledges over the next three years and beyond added up to $9.9 billion from 59 countries and International organisations.
Quotes from the Conference
• “Countries should offer duty-free quota and free access to Haitian goods into their markets” as a means to support Haitian trade, said Celso Amorim, Minister of Exterior Relations of Brazil, which pledged $172 million “This is a test-case for the international community to show willingness and to work together for a just and undisputed cause.”
• “This is not the end of a process but the beginning of a long road with the international community towards Haiti’s long-term recovery,” said Lawrence Cannon, Foreign Minister of Canada, which pledged $375 million at the conference. “With Haitians in the leadership, it is essential to place the interests of the Haitian people in the first plan, giving rise to a new middle class and a prosperous private sector.”
• “The Plan of Action is the Haitians’ view towards its own future. It is Haitians leadership with a 10-year plan of action for long-term development, decentralization, investment in agriculture, infrastructure and a new legal framework,” said Catherine Ashton, Vice-President of the European Commission, which pledged $1.65 billion.
• “Health, housing, education and culture are also essential in the new Haiti that is to be rebuilt under the leadership of Haitians. This is the beginning of a new path,” Said Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, which pledged $194 million.
• “We can do things better this time, following Haiti in its recovery path. The goal is to have a strong state, capable of addressing the Haitians’ needs and of sustaining a more developed country – socially and economically,” said Maria Fernandez Teresa de La Vega, Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, which pledged $467 million.
The humanitarian emergency in Haiti has resulted in a complete loss of the country’s power infrastructure. To bring it back, a host of companies and aid agencies are using the most plentiful resource on the planet to begin powering one of the biggest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen:
FY 2010 Haiti Supplemental Department of State and USAID 3/24/2010
Fact Sheet:
The magnitude 7.3 earthquake that occurred in Haiti on January 12, 2010 was the most powerful earthquake to strike the country in 200 years. In terms of human and economic impact, it is the worst natural disaster recorded in the Western Hemisphere.
• At least 1.5 million people have been directly affected by the quake.
• More than 220,000 individuals were killed and over 300,000 have been injured.
• Approximately 1.3 million people are living in temporary shelters in and around Port-au-Prince while another 500,000 have migrated to other parts of the country in search of shelter, food, and work.
• Roughly 105,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 208,000 were severely damaged.
• Over 1,300 schools and more than 50 health centers collapsed.
• The partial collapse of the National Penitentiary resulted in the escape of 4,300 prisoners.
According to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment lead by the World Bank and the United Nations, the earthquake caused a total of $7.8 billion in damages and losses – 120% of Haiti’s 2009 GDP. To "build back better," the World Bank estimates that Haiti requires at least $11.5 billion in commitments from all donors and investors including bilateral and multilateral institutions, the private sector, and NGOs. The FY 2010 Emergency Supplemental request for Haiti is required to replenish Department of State and USAID accounts used for response to date, as well as costs associated with critical recovery and reconstruction efforts. The total request for State and USAID is $1.641 billion (State Operations = $246 million; Foreign Assistance = $1.245 billion plus an additional $150 million for Food for Peace Emergency Food Assistance).
In response to President Obama’s call for a "swift, coordinated, and aggressive" response effort, which included military and civilian disaster assistance, as of March 16, USAID had committed over $414 million in global humanitarian resources in response to the earthquake: $344 million in International Disaster Assistance (IDA) and $70 million in Food for Peace Title II emergency food assistance. These costs are in addition to bilaterally budgeted FY 2010 resources. It is anticipated that these totals will rise to $515 million in IDA spending and $150 million in emergency food assistance spending.
This request includes approximately $500.7 million to reimburse USAID for some of its emergency humanitarian response costs, and approximately $894 million for State Department and USAID recovery and reconstruction activities and oversight expenses for the USAID Inspector General.
This fact sheet summarizes the State Department and USAID’s portions of the FY 2010 Emergency Supplemental request, which is required to cover costs associated with relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Haiti. More detailed information on the overall U.S. Government request can be found in the FY 2010 Haiti Emergency
Supplemental Budget Request submitted by the President to the Congress on March 24, 2010.
The supplemental request consists of the following components:
State Operations: $246 million
Diplomatic & Consular Programs – $65.0 million
• Required for temporary lodging, fuel, medical supplies, temporary duty personnel, tent city logistical support, bedding / blankets, transportation (including refrigeration trucks), security, and personal property claims.
• Also required for leasing of temporary housing and office space to accommodate USG personnel supporting recovery and reconstruction efforts in the coming months.
• Includes authority to transfer up to $3.7 million to the Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Service account to support evacuation costs and Consular Affairs Fly Away Teams, and other expenses related to U.S. Government efforts in Haiti.
• Includes transfer authority of up to $290 thousand to the Repatriation Loans Program Account to support evacuation of U.S. citizens.
Embassy Security, Construction and Maintenance – $84.5 million
• Required to provide Government-owned housing and office space for up to 150 permanent U.S. direct-hire staff.
• Required to purchase 18 existing build-to-lease houses plus 19 currently under construction, exercise an option to purchase 16 additional units, and for acquisition and construction of 97 more units on new sites.
Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities – $96.5 million required to fund the US share of the assessment to support an additional 2,000 military and 1,500 police personnel for the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) during the period of the current mandate through October 15, 2010.
Relief Funding: $501 million
These funds will reimburse Department of State and USAID accounts for the post-earthquake relief effort to date.
International Disaster Assistance - $351 million
• Reimbursement of inter-agency agreements with DHS/FEMA, DHHS, DoD, and the Peace Corps - $126.6 million.
• USAID Standing Search and Rescue (SAR) Agreements - $11 million to deploy two U.S. SAR teams.
• USAID Disaster Assistance Response Teams Program Support - $0.558 million to manage the disaster response through December 2010.
• Relief Commodities - $24 million to replenish global stocks of relief commodities
• Humanitarian Coordination Programs - $9 million to support U.N. and Interaction disaster response coordination efforts.
• Logistics and Non-Food Items - $21 million.
• Shelter, Settlements, Livelihoods Programs - $93 million to provide shelter for approximately 10% of the total affected Haitian population.
• Health and Nutrition Programs - $42 million to establish mobile health clinics, repair health facilities, and immunize vulnerable populations.
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Programs - $18 million for water, sanitation and hygiene programs for displaced populations.
• Child Protection Programs - $5.4 million to support children’s centers, psycho-social services, and child protection services.
Food for Peace Title II - $150 million
• Provide emergency food assistance for up to two million Haitians.
Recovery and Reconstruction Funding: $893 million:
These funds will help address Haiti’s critical recovery and reconstruction needs.
Economic Support Fund - $749 million:
• Office of Transition Initiatives Recovery Activities - $68.3 million.
o Community Stabilization - $48.3 million to provide employment for public works, debris removal, school construction, flood management and community infrastructure projects.
o Rebuilding the Capacity of the Government of Haiti - $10 million in technical assistance to key Ministries, including physical infrastructure, equipment and furniture.
o Enhancing Citizen Participation in Relief and Recovery - $10 million to assist the GOH to disseminate information and develop strategic communication plans and public outreach campaigns.
• Infrastructure - $433 million to rebuild shelter and supporting infrastructure ($133 million), energy ($150 million), and agriculture and industrial ($150 million) sectors.
• Health - $110 million for health system reconstruction ($72 million), health services to displaced populations ($30 million) and rehabilitation and disability care for earthquake victims ($8 million).
• Agriculture and Food Security - $51 million to jump-start rural economic growth and development ($16 million), expand farmer access to markets ($5 million), re-establish agricultural services and rebuild institutional capacity ($10 million), and manage natural resources ($20 million).
• Governance, Rule of Law and Security - $87 million
o Public Institution and Civil Society Strengthening ($62 million) to help provide essential government services in the short-term and build operational capacity in the long-term, support elections, restore the capacity of the civil service, and coordinate and prioritize donor resources.
o Justice Reform and Human Rights ($25 million) to help revise the Criminal Code, improve the capacity of GOH institutions, and support human rights protection programs.
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement - $143.5 million
• Governance, Rule of Law and Security - $143.5 million
o Justice Reform and Human Rights ($2.5 million) for classification system and pre-trial detention programs.
o Corrections ($31.2 million) to repair damaged facilities, replace uniforms and equipment, and expedite the completion of the women’s correctional facility.
o Policing ($31.1 million) to support the police academy help re-establish police presence on the streets, and rebuild command and control capacities.
o Counternarcotics ($23.7 million) to restore the capacity of the Haitian Coast Guard, DEA-led police drug unit and anti-money laundering and anti-corruption units.
o Trafficking in Persons ($3.5 million) to build GOH capacity to protect minors.
o Peacekeeping ($45 million) to provide 30 additional police advisors and five corrections advisors.
o Program Design and Support ($6.5 million) to provide salaries, benefits, allowances and travel and additional staffing for the justice and corrections program.
Effectiveness and Accountability: $1.5 million
• USAID Office of the Inspector General ($1.5 million) to increase oversight capacity for the Office of the Inspector General in Haiti.
