HAITI

Cash and Food for WorkDeveloping new emergency response tools

Santiago de Chile30 September – 1 October 2010

On January 12, Haiti suffered the most destructive disaster ever to have been experienced by one single country.

At least 230.000 people were killed and around 1.5 million people left homeless and displaced by the disaster.

In the immediate aftermath WFP assisted more than four million people with lifesaving food rations.

DEVELOPING NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE TOOLS

Moving from the immediate emergency phase, Haitian authorities, WFP and partners have launched a Cash and Food for Work programme - an employment scheme to support food security, reconstruction efforts and agricultural rehabilitation.

All employment projects take place in areas that are food insecure, where the earthquake has disrupted livelihoods or in areas of the country that are highly vulnerable to natural disasters.

Through the Cash and Food for Work programme, temporary job initiatives are being created across Haiti – in collaboration with the Haitian government, national and international partners.

The cash and Food for Work programme will employ a total of 140,000 Haitians by the end of the year.

Each worker receives food and cash payment covering a family of five, which means that the programme will help a total of 700,000 Haitians.

Workers are paid 200 gourdes equivalent to USD 5 daily (60% cash and 40% food) for a six hour working day.

Only projects adhering to government directed wage rates, work norms, rehabilitation priorities and endorsed by the technical working groups are supported by WFP and its partners.

Partnerships with other UN agencies has been a key feature of the activity – key partners include FAO, ILO and UNDP.

Initial Cash and Food for Work activities have supported the relocation to safer sites of people displaced by the earthquake (Tabarre Issa Relocation Camp).

In the immediate aftermath of the emergency, Cash and Food for Work projects have focused on simple, low-tech and labor-intensive activities such as clearing of debris and drainage of canals.

Clearing of debris in Carrefour, Port-au-Prince.

Clearing of debris in Carrefour, Port-au-Prince.

Cleaning of canals in Leogane 25 km west of Port-au-Prince and epicenter of the earthquake. 80 percent of the city’s infrastructure was leveled.

Cleaning of canals in Leogane 25 km west of Port-au-Prince.

Cleaning of canals in Leogane 25 km west of Port-au-Prince.

Debris is being recycled to improve roads.

As partner capacity has been build, projects have gradually become more technical and linked to road habilitation and integrated watershed management approaches.

Each project is designed to advance the goals of Government’s national recovery and development plan.

Road rehabilitation between Source d'Aux Cadets and Merlin through Cash and Food for Work.

The opening of the road will give farmers easier access to markets and hence contribute to a positive social-economic development of the area.

The project employs a total of 785 people and lasts four months.

The combination of cash and food is designed to allow people to The combination of cash and food is designed to allow people to buy what buy what is available locally and to access the food that cannot be foundis available locally and to access the food that cannot be found in the area.in the area.

The food component ensures access to the food that cannot be found in the food that cannot be found in the area...the area...

... while the cash element allows people to buy what is available locally.

The coordination of the job schemes is done through the government led technical working groups established in each department.

Building of terraces in the Bretagne mountains outside of the city of Gonaives.

Gonaives was heavily flooded when major storms and hurricanes hit Haiti in 2004 and 2008.

Marigot in Haiti’s Southeastern Department, an area prone to natural disasters.

In july, a joint Cash and Food for Work project was launched between FAO, WFP and the Fédération des Associations Caféières Natives (FACN) in Marigot.

The project contributes to an enhanced and sustainable management of natural resources to improve the food security of the population.

While protecting settlements and plantations against floods caused by torrential rains through the construction of dry walls in hillside gullies, seeds and sprouts are planted to create the basis for sustainable agricultural production.

The project is further improving purchasing power and hence contributing to strengthen local economy through the creation of jobs. A total of 1,266 workers are engaged in the project in Marigot.

Partnership with other UN agencies has been a key component of the Cash and Food for Work programme. WFP’s contribution of cash and food to the workers in Marigot has allowed for FAO to concentrate their resources on the technical aspects of the project.