From March 24 to 26, 2025, the French Ambassador to Haiti, Antoine Michon, toured the southern region of the country, where he visited the main projects funded by France as part of bilateral cooperation with Haiti and sustainable development projects that contribute to the economic development of this region.

During this tour, Ambassador Michon visited :

- The Irrigation Support Project (PAIS) in the municipalities of Les Cayes and Aquin. Funded by France through the French Development Agency (AFD) to the tune of €13 million, this project is rehabilitating and building more than 15 km of irrigation canals across 1,500 hectares. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44575-haiti-news-zapping.html

- The work carried out as part of the Timama 2 project supporting maternal and child health. As part of this project, France financed the rehabilitation and reconstruction of four health facilities damaged by the August 14, 2021 earthquake. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34479-haiti-flash-magnitude-72-earthquake-in-the-nippes-updated-10am.html . With funding from the AFD in partnership with the Departmental Directorate of the Ministry of Public Health and the NGO Entraide Médicale Internationale, the Carrefour Charles and Cavaillon Health Centers will soon be able to once again offer quality care to the population of these communities.

- A primary school located in Chambellan, where the World Food Programme (WFP) provides daily meals prepared with local products, including nutrient-rich breadfruit flour.

- The PROFIT project, implemented by the International Labor Organization (ILO), allows for the structuring of production chains, particularly around breadfruit and cocoa, enabling thousands of small producers to sell their produce, but also to process and even export it.

- The Alliances Françaises in Jérémie and Les Cayes are much more than language centers : they are spaces for culture, dialogue, and openness. Through French language classes, film debates, concerts, exhibitions, and educational projects, the Alliances support young people, support artists, and foster intercultural exchanges. They embody France's concrete commitment to local communities in support of education, culture, and the Francophonie.

He also visited the recently inaugurated Port of Saint-Louis du Sud https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44086-haiti-economy-official-inauguration-of-the-port-of-saint-louis-du-sud-video.html , a Haitian private sector initiative, and the Frager factory in Les Cayes, which produces vetiver essential oil, placing Haiti at the forefront of the world https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-30173-icihaiti-economy-haiti-the-world-s-leading-exporter-of-vetiver-essential-oil.html . The French luxury industry (Chanel, Hermès, etc...) is the main importer ($16 million in 2024).

At the end of his tour, Ambassador Michon stated, "The Grand'Anse and South departments offer investment and development opportunities in many sectors agriculture, livestock farming, tourism, etc. This will contribute to the development of the Southern Peninsula and the necessary decentralization of Haiti's economic activities. France will continue to support civil society in the South region by financing sustainable development projects, such as the rehabilitation and construction of irrigation canals to enable farmers to increase their production and the construction of health infrastructure that can provide quality care to local communities. With the Alliance Française organizations present in these two departments, France demonstrates its commitment to supporting young people and local artists."

HL/ HaitiLibre