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After the largest emergency relief operation in its history, the SDC is now involved in several reconstruction projects.
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Haiti
Website of the SDC in Haiti: www.cooperation-suisse.admin.ch/haiti
Since 2013, Haiti has been on the list of the so-called fragile States where the SDC is stepping up its activities. The programme focuses on the construction of social infrastructures that comply with the earthquake and hurricane resistant standards, as well as on food security and on environmental protection. The strengthening of the State and the reduction of poverty are also at the centre of Switzerland's commitment. Haïti is the poorest country in Latin America. Nearly 80% of the population lives on less than USD 2/day. In 2011, it ranked 158th out of the 169 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).The earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 worsened the situation and caused lasting damage to the country. Against this background, the challenges facing the country are immense. Switzerland's goal is to contribute to State capacity-building in order to ensure inclusive governance, security, and access to basic services. Within the scope of reducing the fragility of Haiti - indeed the central thrust of Switzerland's efforts -the strengthening of institutional, collective, and individual resilience capacities to crisis situations, is of crucial importance. |
| Swiss International Cooperation | 2011 |
2012 |
2013* |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDC | |||
| Bilateral development cooperation | 5.00 | 5.43 | 6.00 |
| Humanitarian aid | 8.00 | 6.47 | 9.15 |
| State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) | |||
| Economic Cooperation and Development | – | – | – |
| Total SDC/SECO | 13.00 | 11.90 | 15.15 |
| Other Federal Offices | |||
| FDFA Human Security Division and Directorate of International Law | 0.23 | 0.11 | – |
| Total other Federal Offices | 0.23 | 0.11 | – |
| Cantons and municipalities | 1.11 | .. | .. |
| Total | 14.34 | 12.01 | 15.15 |
SDC figures excluding program contributions to NGOs
.. = figures not available | – = nil or amount < 5'000 CHF
Reconstruction
For social infrastructures that are long-lasting and reliable
In the domain of water and
that of education, the SDC supports local and national actors in the construction of long-lasting and reliable infrastructures. Since 2008, it has been supporting a project entitled «Drinking water
and sanitation» aimed at ensuring the population a sustainable access to water. Thanks to this project, being implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercoopération, nearly 30,000 persons are supplied with
drinking water in the Departments of Artibonite and the Centre, a region lying in the west of the country. Since 2012, the SDC has been supporting the building of institutional capacities and the
decentralization of water management.
Within the frame of improving access to education, the Swiss Programme of support to the reconstruction of school infrastructures (Paris) proposes concrete solutions. School buildings which are safe, long-lasting, and comfortable are constructed while fully complying with the adequate architectural and structural norms. Model school facilities that are replicable and adapted to different environments are made available to the sector.
Through its competence centre on reconstruction, the SDC contributes to reducing risks in the domain of construction by promoting earthquake-resistant construction standards and diffusing good practices. By 2012, it had successfully trained 320 construction workers and 29 trainers.
Food security
Emergence relief
In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused devastating damage in Haiti, literally
wiping out harvests. With CHF 1 million earmarked for short and medium-term projects, the SDC contributed to the rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructures affected by the Hurricane and to
agricultural recovery and food security.
Innovative initiative to support Haitian farmers
In the sector of vetiver essential oil production, the SDC has entered into an innovative
partnership with the company Firmenich. The objective is to ensure sustainable production conditions, fair income for the small producers, and to thereby enhance the living conditions of numerous
farming families.
Environment
Preservation and promotion of biodiversity
The SDC supports national protected-area
programmes. Within the scope of its support to the preservation and promotion of biodiversity in the Foret des Pins national reserve, it has successfully linked the protection of the forest with the
improvement of living conditions for the local populations. The sharing of experiences and results of this programme with the Haitian authorities has made it possible to foster and to reinforce
national policy on protected areas.
History of Swiss cooperation
From humanitarian aid to long-term development
Switzerland has been present in
Haiti ever since the 1950–1960s with an official representation and numerous relief agencies and solidarity associations. The 12 January 2010 earthquake caused untold suffering and unprecedented
devastation. Switzerland's humanitarian aid, present on site since 2000, was mobilized to launch the largest relief operation in its history.
Since 2011, the SDC has been conducting a medium-term programme (2011–2013) to improve the living conditions of the population, combining humanitarian operations with long-term cooperation. Since 2013, Haiti numbers among the SDC's priority, fragile states in which it has decided to strengthen its activities over the long term.
Peace promotion and human security
Since 2010, Switzerland has also been supporting a ‟Community Security” project in an extremely poor
neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince with an annual contribution of CHF 100,000. The project, being implemented by the Brazilian NGO ‟Viva Rio”, is an example of innovative trilateral
cooperation.
Background information Haiti
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| Source: World Bank's World Development Indicators 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background information provided by the BBC
Local SDC contact address:
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Haiti (Port-au-Prince) |
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Ambassade de Suisse |
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| Phone | +509 3701 58 31 |
| Fax | +41 31 322 18 47 |
| portauprince@sdc.net | |
| Website | www.cooperation-suisse.admin.ch/haiti |
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Additional Information and Documents Here, you will find more publications, links, documents and articles about Swiss development cooperation and humanitarian aid in this country. |