From Relief to Recovery

Capacity Building

The IHRC is working with the Government of Haiti to build the necessary capacity to effectively cooperate on its coordination responsibility by directing support to key ministries as they draft or update strategic and investment plans. Ministries must, with the support of the international community, put in place adequate mechanisms to fulfill their leadership role.

• Reinforce / create necessary sector tables
• Assist ministries in developing strategies and investment plans

Debris Removal and Management

Debris removal is key to most development and recovery priorities. A challenge of this complexity and magnitude demands an overall strategy. The strategy should recognize multiple debris removal methods based on their effectiveness given the particularities and constraints of each geographical area. It is vital that a global strategy address how debris will be disposed and possibly recycled.

Goals:

• Remove 40% of debris in a way that is environmentally sound

Education

In a context where everything needs to be done, primary schooling was prioritized benefiting the majority of the young Haitians. A main objective identified is free and compulsory access to quality education. Secondary and tertiary levels, vocational training and specialized education are also important components but not equal to basic education.

Goals:

• Build and staff 250 temporary structures
• Build and staff 60 primary schools in communal sections where no public schools exist
• Equip up to 3000 schools (public and private)
• Feed 250,000 children
• Provide up to 500,000 children with an education kit (manuals and uniforms)
• Provide up to 500,000 children with financial assistance in private schools
• Train 5,000 teachers

Energy

Only about 25% of Haitians have access to electric service. Investments currently under way or being proposed for the short-term include upgrading targeted distribution circuits, sub-station repairs, metering, relay coordination, and customer registration. Completion of these projects in Port-au-Prince will facilitate the improvement of service and help achieve the targeted goals.

Goals:

• Increase hours of service for 30,000 urban households by 20%
• Expand electricity service to 10,000 rural households

Health

Prior to the earthquake, Haiti suffered from an insufficient number of health professionals and health institutions. The IHRC supports the strategic planning and key policies of the Ministry of Health that emphasize a clear and comprehensive long-term health strategy. The Ministry of Health and its partners have also begun assessing the health institutions that currently exist by creating a map which will become the first draft of the Carte Sanitaire.

Goals:

• Improve service delivery through targeted reconstruction and construction of 40 hospitals, 75 clinics and an ambulance network to connect communities to health care services
• Increase the health care workforce through the reconstruction or reinforcement of 4 medical schools, 4 nursing schools and the launch of training programs able to reach 4,000 allied health professionals
• Pilot and expand approaches to health care financing, including ensuring access to care for children under 5 and expanding access for pregnant women

Housing and Shelter

The best approach for housing people affected by the earthquake is by helping them return to their original neighborhoods while progressively improving the safety and quality of life in those neighborhoods. The rebuilding process should also provide economic opportunities in construction and related fields and be accompanied by financing options for qualified families.

Goals:

• Ensure that ~400,000 people who own or rent houses are able to relocate from camps
• Complete registration of all earthquake-affected households and identify a housing solution for each (return, reconstruction, relocation) along with a financial support mechanism
• Provide temporary housing or reinforced shelter to families still in camps
• Complete the strategic plan for urban redevelopment of Port au Prince (phase 1) and other important urban areas and outlines for financial plans
• Put in operation a credit program for single and multifamily housing

Job Creation

Job creation is a top priority for Haiti's recovery. Haiti has the highest unemployment rate in the region. Job creation is necessarily a cross-sectoral effort and is often a result of indirect stimuli — many new jobs will come through a strong recovery and increased investment.

Goals:

• Provide full-time employment to hundreds of thousands Haitians
• Outside of Port-au-Prince, jobs will be mainly created in agriculture, watershed management and road construction
• Within Port-au-Prince, jobs will mainly be created housing and debris related development activities
• Begin construction of 2 public and 3 private industrial parks in various regions of the country

Water and Sanitation

The Government of Haiti developed a strategy for water in coordination with all major partners, under the leadership of the water department (DINEPA) which operates within the Haitian Ministry of Planning (MTPTC). Additionally, a major water-related legislation was approved and a new structure for the water department was enacted.

Goals:

• Bring the sustainable access rate to controlled potable water from 2% to 50%
• Bring the access rate to toilet / latrine meeting international standards from some 10% to at least 27%