| Untitled Document Projects will - Protect Haiti’s population from natural disasters
- Finance the education of 100,000 children and feed 75,000 daily
- Increase access of 50,000 agricultural producers to latest technologies
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, January 11, 2012 — Alexandre Abrantes, the World Bank’s Special Envoy to Haiti, and Hon. André Lemercier Georges, Haiti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, signed three grant agreements today for a total of US$180 million. The projects seek to protect the country’s population from natural disasters, finance tuition and school meals for 100,000 and 75,000 elementary school children respectively, and strengthen the productivity and sustainability of agriculture and rural development. President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Garry Conille presided over the ceremony, which took place at the Presidential Palace, one day prior to the commemoration of the earthquake that struck Haiti two years ago, killing 220,000 people, creating massive reconstruction needs, and significantly deepening the country’s development challenges. President Martelly highlighted that "the Government needs to regain the trust of its partners and prove that Haiti is using their funding in an efficient and transparent manner." "These projects promote high performance standards and capacity building of the Haitian Government," said Prime Minister Conille. Financed from a special allocation of US$530 million from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s facility for concessional financing for poor countries, the three projects are critical to the objectives of the World Bank Group’s 2012 Interim Strategy, under which US$255 million in grants will be provided to the Government of Haiti for reconstruction and development this calendar year. Minister Lemercier Georges welcomed the fact that these three projects will directly support the current priorities of the Martelly/Conille Government. "The new funding will go directly to the Government who will implement these projects," said Abrantes. The Strategy approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors on December 1st, 2011, aims to:
- Reduce Haiti’s vulnerability to disasters and crises and increase its resilience to shocks.
- Sustainably reconstruct key infrastructure.
- Build human capital.
- Revitalize the economy by improving the business climate and creating jobs.
The projects will accomplish the following:
Education for All II (US$70 million) - 175,000 children to benefit
- 8,000 student-teachers to be trained
The second phase of the Education for All Project will help increase access to primary education for poor children aged 6-12 and improve equity and quality in the education sector. The project will benefit a total of 175,000 Haitian children. In peri-urban areas, the project will allow about 100,000 students per year in approximately 1,200 schools to attend school free of charge, while 75,000 children will receive hot meals in school every day. In addition, 8,280 student-teachers will benefit from accelerated teacher training, resulting in thousands of additional qualified primary teachers.
For those children living in rural areas without access to primary education services, the project will put in place a community-based school system which will reach 6,250 students in 200 communities, and generate an estimated 36,000 spaces for students in the coming years. Disaster Risk Management (US$60 million)
The US$60 million Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction Project will help Haiti respond better to disasters and enhance the resiliency of critical transport infrastructure. Haitians are more exposed than almost any other people in the world to multiple natural hazards, with 96 percent of the population living at risk.
Following the January 2010 earthquake, the Bank helped restore critical capacities for recovery and plan a disaster-resilient reconstruction. This project will further strengthen the country’s capacity for disaster preparedness and response by: - Strengthening the national network of civil protection committees, setting up a reliable emergency communications system, and expanding the national emergency shelter network.
- Helping key ministries integrate knowledge of disaster risks in policy and decision making processes.
- Rehabilitating vulnerable and damaged critical transportation infrastructure.
Re-launching Agriculture (US$50 million) - 50,000 producers to benefit
The third project signed today for US$50 million, includes US$10 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program Trust Fund (GAFSP) and supports Haiti’s National Agriculture Investment Plan, which aims to increase agricultural productivity and competitiveness, and improve food security and nutrition among the most vulnerable. Agriculture plays a dominant role in Haiti’s economy, contributing 25 percent of GDP and accounting for around 50 percent of overall employment.
Specifically, the project will:
- Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) to implement its National Agriculture Extension Strategy.
- Increase the access of 50,000 small and medium sized producers throughout the country to the latest in agriculture technologies and training for animal and plant health.
- Provide financial assistance in the case of an agriculture sector emergency.
---------------------------------------------- The devastating earthquake, which struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, significantly worsened the poverty and living conditions of the Haitian population and exacerbated the country’s development challenges. Over 220,000 people were killed and 300,000 wounded. The disaster brought the entire economy to a halt, wiping out an estimated 120 percent of GDP. The economy contracted by 5 percent in 2010 but is projected to have grown by 5.1 percent in 2011, in large part due to reconstruction efforts.
Despite weak capacity, much has been done. Half of 11 million m3 of debris have been removed, camp occupancy has dropped from an estimated 1.5 million to around 520,000, schools reopened for the 2011-2012 school year, and robust preparation for Hurricane Tomas in October 2010 and the 2011 hurricane season resulted in fewer fatalities than in previous years. About the World Bank Support to Haiti
The World Bank Group delivered its March 2010 pledge to provide US$479 million in new funding, disbursements, private sector support, and debt relief over the first 24 months of Haiti’s reconstruction. On average, the World Bank has disbursed close to US$10 million per month over this period.
The World Bank Group and its IDA contributors are deeply committed to Haiti’s reconstruction. In addition to the resources provided in the first 24 months after the crisis, IDA donors have allocated US$530 million to Haiti from IDA 16’s Crisis Response Window. The World Bank Group’s Current Haiti Interim Strategy foresees the provision of about half of these resources in 2012. With about 10 percent of pledged aid flows, IDA is one of Haiti’s 5 largest donors. Contacts:
In Washington: Melanie Zipperer, (202) 468-9841, mzipperer@worldbank.org
Patricia da Camara, (202) 473-4019, pdacamara@worldbank.org For more information on the projects, please visit:
Education for All Project – Phase II
Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction Project
Relaunching Agriculture: Strengthening Agriculture Public Services II
For more information on the World Bank’s work in Haiti, please visit:
http://www.worldbank.org/haiti
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