Haiti threatens to sink into chaos - HEKS/EPER expands emergency aid and development programmes
Away from the big headlines, the Caribbean state of Haiti is threatening to sink into chaos once and for all. The country, which is one of the poorest in the world, has been repeatedly hit by devastating natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and alternating floods and droughts in recent years. Ongoing political unrest and civil war-like conditions with gang violence have plunged the country into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The de facto rule of law no longer exists, and the food security of the civilian population and their access to basic services such as water, healthcare and education are no longer guaranteed.
In view of the escalation of violence in and around the capital Port-au-Prince, thousands of people are also fleeing to other parts of the country, for example to the Grand' Anse department in the south-west of the island. HEKS/EPER has had its own coordination office in this remote and inaccessible region for many years and its projects enjoy a high level of acceptance and appreciation among the local population. The local HEKS/EPER team knows their needs very well and is therefore able to continue to help quickly and effectively despite the very challenging and difficult overall situation in Grand' Anse.
Jorkenley Valère
HEKS/EPER is therefore expanding its emergency aid and development programmes for the suffering civilian population in Grand' Anse and is providing an additional CHF 500,000 for this purpose. Half of this will be used for urgently needed improvements to public infrastructure such as roads and water supplies with the involvement of the local population as part of ‘Cash for Work’ programmes. Programme participants receive CHF 30 each for a five-day work assignment. This enables them to buy food and other urgently needed everyday goods. A further 200,000 francs will be used to support smallholder families with seeds for the start of the growing season. Finally, CHF 50,000 will be used for psychosocial care and support for people who have been traumatised by violence. A total of around 7,000 people are to be supported.