PORT-AU-PRINCE, July 23, 2008 – Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice-President for Latin America and the Caribbean, ended today a visit to Haiti where she confirmed to President René Préval the World Bank’s commitment to continue supporting his government and Haitian development efforts. Since 2005, the World Bank has provided about US$250 million in grants to this Caribbean country.
"I visited projects where communities are taking charge of their own development, contributing their efforts to make a difference and improve their lives. Certainly, there are challenges to surmount, but also opportunities to progress"Cox said.
She first traveled to Les Cayes in the southern part of Haiti accompanied by the Planning Minister, Jean Max Bellerive, and visited some of the World Bank-supported projects in the area being implemented by the government and civil society organizations. Ms. Cox was greeted by more than 200 beneficiary children from a school feeding program in Torbeck, and met with local authorities as well as beneficiaries of an Emergency Recovery and Disaster Management flood control sub-project in Cavaillon. In Gros Marin, Ms. Cox talked to community leaders and exchanged ideas with working men and women in a grain mill funded by the Community-Driven Development (CDD) project.
Back in the capital, Ms. Cox met with President René Préval, Minister of Finance Daniel Dorsainvil, and other high-ranking officials. She also met with senior UN staff, representatives of the donor community, international development partners, members of the private sector and the media.
During the two-day visit, Ms. Cox was accompanied by Yvonne Tsikata, the World Bank Director for the Caribbean; Mathurin Gbetibouo, the World Bank Representative in Haiti; and Salem Rohana, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Representative for the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
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