After the strongest earthquake in Haiti in more than 200 years the Government is reporting that more than 212,000 have died and nearly 300,000 people have been injured. The number of displaced people reaches up to one million.
The level of casualties sustained by civil servants as well as the damage to public buildings and services, have significantly reduced the capacity of national authorities to lead and coordinate the response. Damage to buildings and infrastructure is widespread and severe, critical infrastructure in many areas is still disabled, communications remain widely disrupted.
At the same time as emergency humanitarian assistance is provided, UNDP and partner agencies are looking at the future, focusing on time-critical early recovery activities in Haiti and supporting spontaneous recovery initiatives by affected communities to rebuild lives and livelihoods. Our main goal is to help the government and affected populations restore basic livelihoods with no delay to provide a sense of hope and accelerate return to normalcy.
In this context, UNDP carries out a cash-for-work programme to jumpstart the local economy, based on its experience following the series of deadly hurricanes in 2008. Within a week after the earthquake, UNDP’s cash for work programme had started in Port au Prince. It provides short-term jobs to Haitians to clear rubble and rehabilitate essential social infrastructures, such as street repairs and electricity. The programme empowers affected populations, helping them earn a living and cover for the basic necessities of their families. It injects urgently needed cash in the economy, accelerating the resumption of small businesses and trade. This programme involves local authorities and non-governmental Haitian networks and organizations in the immediate recovery.
The programme intends to reach more than 400,000 people until December 2010, indirectly benefiting 2 million Haitians.
A significant increase of funding is urgently needed for this initiative to quickly reach many more Haitians.
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