Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 65 per cent of its population lives under the poverty line and half of the population does not have access to clean drinking water.

After the rebellion in 2004, and the constant floods and hurricanes that the island has experienced in the last few years - made worse due to deforestation - these problems have only increased.

Oxfam's work

We have been working in Haiti since 1978. We have focused on three areas of work: sustainable livelihoods, disaster mitigation and good governance.

Sustainable livelihoods

The overall objective is to improve the livelihoods of small-scale producers through strategies aimed at reinforcing their production capacities and food security.

About 10,000 peasant families directly benefit from this programme’s activities, particularly small and medium-scale producers living in the remote areas of the north and south-east regions.

The implementation of this work is possible through a pool of international organisations, multilateral agencies, state agencies, Haitian NGOs, and grassroots organisations, like IICA, VETERIMED, FAMV, TWIN, PAPDA, and CPDC, BCA, UE in Haiti, among others.

Disaster mitigation

The overall objective of this work is to contribute to a reduction of urban and rural communities’ vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters.

In particular, this work will benefit poor men and women living in high-risk areas of the country. Emphasis will be placed on developing their preparedness and response capacities to natural and man-made disasters.

Good governance

This programme intends to strengthen civil society’s advocacy capacity in public policies that impact the levels of poverty and marginalisation, especially for women and men living in the marginalised districts of Port-au-Prince and in rural areas.

In particular, activities will contribute to strengthening their capacities to lobby for increased, and secure access, to public services, such as education, drinking water, electricity and health.

The implementation of this programme involves the active participation of a pool of Haitian NGOs and institutions specialising in distinctive areas like POHDH; GARR; Justice et Paix, SOFA; KAY FANM; CONAP; FANM YO LA, SACS, ENFOFANM, APC and Forum.

Last updated: Feb 06