The US Government, through United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Food for Peace, awarded CARE US $4 million in response to a food security crisis in the Jean-Rabel commune in the North West Department. The emergency assistance begins immediately, lasting 12 months during which time activities will focus on providing food vouchers to approximately 10,000 chronically food insecure households (approximately 60,000 individuals), and supporting village savings/loans programs to some 1,200 households.

Recall that in February 2014 Government of Haiti-led food security assessment in the North West concluded that six communes including Port-de-Paix, Bassin-Bleu, Jean-Rabel, Mole St Nicolas, Bombadopolis, and Baie de Henne were experiencing grave drought-related food and livelihood crises. These communes have been hard hit by the failure of the last two consecutive harvest seasons.

In line with these assessment findings, and as part of the coordinated response plan that the Haitian Government developed, CARE Haiti will target households with malnourished children, lactating mothers, and other vulnerable households. Each targeted beneficiary household will receive a monthly food voucher equivalent to US $25 over a period of 10 months. The voucher will be used to purchase local products which in turn will contribute to strengthening local production and purchases.

Further, approximately 1200 households will be mobilized and supported to establish 50 or so village and saving and loan associations. This program aims at creating and strengthening a system of social funds for the village through which the people of the region can cope with emergency situations and create a community-based self-insurance scheme.

More importantly, these emergency interventions complement the longer-term development of a national social safety net system, already underway under the auspices of Haiti’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. As these emergency activities end, the most vulnerable populations in the Northwest Department will continue to be supported under this longer term development safety net program.

HL/ HaitiLibre