Haiti is currently experiencing one of the most challenging periods of its recent history. Considering this ongoing disheartening political and security burdens, a multi-donors Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment (RCIA) was conducted and published in December 2024, identifying measures to address the crisis and support the transition.
At the request of the Government of Haiti, a donor roundtable was convened building upon the assessment and, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings on April 22 to discuss programmatic priorities with international partners as Haiti navigates its path to recovery.
The roundtable provided an opportunity for Haitian stakeholders to review and discuss an updated version of the RCIA Investment Plan, which identified the most critical investment priorities implementable in the current security context. It was also an opportunity to convene experts to remind the community of donors and partners that the “costs of inaction” would be unbearable for Haiti and the region.
“Exacerbating violence threatens to reverse the progress made by the Haitian Government over the past months” said Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Haiti today, more than ever, needs concreted support to emerge stronger from this crisis. We are here today as well to highlight what is at stake: the cost of inaction is high.”
Haiti continues to stand
During his intervention Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé shared the government’s commitment to economic recovery and improving security. He explained that the roundtable event is fundamental to communicating their strategic priorities to various partners, and to request necessary support for the implementation of the Investment Plan resulting from the Rapid Crisis Assessment Report.
“The Investment Plan is not limited to a series of projects to be financed. It reflects the Haitian government’s vision of a recovery based on social justice, human security and economic development, said Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, Haitian Prime Minister. “In accordance with our vision of economic recovery, the government has adopted a series of provisions to align the allocation of public resources with the priorities of the Plan.”
The overall investment needs outlined in the updated plan are estimated at US $644 million, within the framework of 107 separate programs in all four priority areas outlined in the assessment. The government had already mobilized more than $209 million from international partners, which leaves a financing requirement of $364 million for the immediate two years to enable interventions deemed urgent, realistic and of strategic importance.
Toward an updated version of the current crisis’ impact
Throughout the afternoon, the UN and the World Bank facilitated technical discussions on donor coordination, including the UN Stabilization Plan and options for governance and implementation arrangements of the updated Rapid Crisis Impact Assessment Investment Plan. To update the plan, the RCIA teams reviewed all programs of the RCIA for their feasibility and whether they correspond to essential priorities in the current security context and updated the investment needs accordingly.
“The priority is to safeguard essential government institutions, necessary to ensure service delivery in government controlled and liberated areas and facilitate economic recovery. It is also necessary to preserve essential human capital to retain the skills and workforce needed for recovery, said Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager for Haiti.”
Thereafter, the Inter-American Development Bank coordinated a panel on the upcoming medium-term recovery and development plan, requested by the Haitian Government and which will leverage the partnership approach adopted for the RCIA. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime was joined by the minister of Finance, Alfred Metellus Fils; the minister of Plan, Ketleen Florestal and the minister delegate of Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs, Herwil Gaspard.
Key international partners included Ilan Goldfajn, president of IDB; Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Regional Vice President of the World Bank; Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; Ulrika Richardson, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator; Rodrigo Valdes, Patrizia Tumbarello and Tina Burjaliani from the IMF; private sector; civile society and diaspora representatives.
Civil society stakeholders who attend the roundtable recall that women and youths coupled with technology are essential for the Caribbean country recovery strategy. “We participated in the Haiti Donor Roundtable sessions and insisting on focusing more on the power of technology, women and the digital economy as part of the solution for economic recovery for Haiti”, said Marc Alain Boucicault of the BANJ innovation agency. “Some of the interventions included: More access to Internet, Energy and FinTech’s in Haiti - Digital Skills Trainings - Inclusion of Women - Out of the box Public Private Partnerships.”
