Fast Facts on the U.S. Government's Work in Haiti: Funding

Following the tragic January 12, 2010, earthquake, the U.S. Government has committed over $3.6 billion toward relief, recovery, and reconstruction, of which $2.5 billion has been disbursed as of September 30, 2012.

• Relief Assistance: The U.S. Government committed $1.3 billion in humanitarian relief assistance (rapid, life-saving emergency assistance). This support includes funding provided to fight the October 2010 cholera outbreak. The U.S. Government relief assistance supported the deployment of search-and-rescue teams, provided emergency food assistance and safe drinking water, installed latrines and water systems, provided emergency shelter, re-established medical supply chains, restocked medical supply inventories, and helped to treat and prevent cholera.
• Reconstruction and Development Assistance: The U.S. Government has also committed $2.3 billion in reconstruction and development assistance to support recovery and long-term reconstruction activities in key development pillars identified in the five-year U.S. Government Haiti strategy. The U.S. Government implemented recovery activities in order to bridge the gap from emergency assistance to reconstruction, including rubble removal and shelter solution activities; construction of semi-permanent classrooms to allow students to return to school; support and technical assistance for the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission; and funding for Haitian debt relief. Reconstruction activities require in-depth exchanges with new partners and Government of Haiti officials to design and implement projects toward a more stable and economically viable Haiti. Reconstruction assistance supports new post-earthquake initiatives, as well as projects that began prior to the earthquake, and continues to support Haiti’s economic recovery. To promote sustainable, long-term development, the U.S. Government has initiated construction of permanent houses in Haiti’s north and near Port-au-Prince, reconstructed the Ennery Bridge, initiated energy activities for the new Caracol Industrial Park, encouraged public-private partnerships to raise revenues for farmers, pioneered mobile banking, supported food security activities to increase crop yields, provided a basic health package to beneficiaries, increased physical access for disabled students and teachers, and supported first- and second- round presidential elections.

How the U.S. Government Provides Assistance

The majority of U.S. Government funds in the first year following the earthquake were used to respond quickly to emergencies and humanitarian crises. Funding to respond to crises worldwide is pre-contracted or provided to traditional partners to respond quickly to save lives.

Since the earthquake, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has worked directly or through sub-awards with over 400 Haitian non-governmental organizations and firms, and hundreds of local vendors. Moving forward, it is increasing local contracting as reconstruction programs continue to be designed and awarded. The U.S. Government will work specifically to build the capacity of Haitian organizations to receive direct funding for implementing U.S. Government projects and will provide technical assistance directly to the Government of Haiti, local governments, and Haiti’s Parliament to build government capacity.

The U.S. Government is also funding new and innovative projects and encouraging Haitian entrepreneurship through USAID’s new Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program and a new Leveraging Effective Application of Direct (LEAD) Investments Program which facilitates investments. USAID’s DIV program offers funding to new projects that have potential to address Haiti’s significant challenges and substantively improve development outcomes. The DIV Haiti initiative will invest in innovations tailored to the Haitian context, measure their impact, and scale up those that are successful. Simultaneously, the LEAD program will partner with Haitian businesses and U.S.-based investors to increase the development impact of remittances. The program has awarded four grants to Haitian organizations as part of its business plan competition’s first round. For more information on funding, go to http://www.usaid.gov/faq-usaid-funding-haiti.